Processors are claiming a victory over the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the High Court, which they claim could see the agency refund or reduce charges to industry to the tune of £1m.



The FSA was challenged in the courts by 12 members of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) over issues surrounding the recovery of EU minima charges.

A leading foodservice supplier is upping its commitment to Red Tractor-assured products following significant sales rises in the last few months.

A row has erupted over meat passed fit for human consumption by meat inspectors being banned from the food chain.

Founder member of the abattoir trade body AIMS Sammy Morphet has slammed the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for a rule that condemns meat from emergency-slaughter animals, which have not been examined live by a vet.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has announced that Mike Whittemore has been appointed to the new position of trade team marketing manager for Eblex.

Pig and poultry producers, processors and butchers are being given the chance to claim a £1,000 prize if they can come up with the latest innovation to drive the sector forward.

The ABN Innovation Award 2012, which is open to anyone with an idea for adding greater value to the industries, aims to highlight the very best ideas to help tackle some of the challenges currently being faced by the pig and poultry food production chain.

A leading meat association has accused the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of being “dramatic, divisive and misleading” by publishing out-of-date information in what amounts to a “league table” of meat plants.

The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) has reacted angrily to the FSA’s publication of its ‘cause for concern’ list, seeing it as “a deliberate act of aggression” against the meat industry.

Eblex has announced the date for this year’s Outlook Conference as Wednesday 2 May. The half-day event highlights economic and market information and forecasting for the pig, dairy and beef and lamb sectors, and is jointly hosted with Bpex and DairyCo.

Leading members of the meat industry have renewed their calls for an overhaul of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) auditing system for meat plants, following the news that the FSA has gone ahead with its controversial plans to publish audit reports of approved meat plants in England, Scotland and Wales.

The first tranche were published on Monday (16 January) and included more than 200 audits that have been completed since 1 November 2011. From now on, around 200 audits will be issued at the end of each month.

Northern Ireland meat business Hannan Meats has signed a major deal to supply pubs and restaurants across the north east of England, as part of its successful expansion into the north of England.

Chicken processor Faccenda has said it will create 347 new jobs if plans to extend its Telford factory are given the go-ahead.

The company has submitted a planning application for a 13,490m² extension to its existing 6,258m² factory at Hortonwood industrial estate. The extension would accommodate new cutting and portioning lines, chilled despatch warehousing and new administration and staff facilities.

Coventry-based catering butcher Aubrey Allen has won Restaurant magazine’s Chef Choice Awards for the third year running.

Pig bosses have launched a survey looking for views on the state of the industry across the board.

Makro has recalled several of its tapas meat products after they were found to be contaminated with listeria.

The meat industry has hit back against calls from a former government advisor for a dramatic reduction in meat consumption to fight obesity and climate change.


Professor Tim Lang, who has advised the World Health Organisation and the Department for Environment on food policy, told The Telegraph that meat consumption was “out of control” and said people should return to the past tradition of saving meat for special occasions.

Bpex’s has hailed its ‘Pork Promise’ campaign a success and claims that more shoppers are now actively looking for Red Tractor logo pork products.

The campaign, launched in autumn 2011, used outdoor poster, print and online advertisments and social media activity to highight the reasons to choose quality-assured pork and explain the standards behind the Red Tractor logo.

Scientists have discovered a 
molecule which they believe might be able to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).


Wholesaler John Penny and Sons has produced a video explaining the benefits of good-quality meat from the local butcher.

The food charity FareShare is calling on the meat industry to work with it to redistribute surplus product to thousands of people facing hunger in the UK.

Irish private vets have voted in favour of industrial action to protest against the government’s decision to transfer part of meat plant inspections to civil servants. Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has warned that the strike would disrupt production and exports at a crucial time, and urged both sides to settle the dispute in a responsible manner.

Red Lion Foods will offer Christmas meals to two families who have members serving abroad this year, as part of an online competition.

Health protection experts have warned that chicken liver pâté is a major source of camplybacter infection in the UK, accounting for 90% of outbreaks at catering venues in 2011.

According to figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), there have been a total of 18 outbreaks of campylobacter infection in the UK this year, with more than 443 people taken ill. Fourteen of these outbreaks occured in catering venues and 13 of these were linked to chicken or duck liver pâté.

A Norfolk poultry producer has negotiated a temporary pay-cut with its 600 staff in order to see it through financial difficulties.

A leading meat wholesaler has signed a deal with a food ingredients supplier to bring a new competitive range to market.

Butchers are being offered a new range of premium beef products with the launch of a new brand from Scotch Premier Meat.

Health protection experts have confirmed that an outbreak of food poisoning at a Salford hotel was caused by campylobacter.

Volumes of red meat exported to EU and non-EU countries have increased by 22% year on year, due to strong growth in the beef and bacon markets, Eblex has revealed. Overall red meat exports now represent £754.6m, up from £606.3m in 2010.

Beef and veal exports went up 36% compared to last year, and the organisation attributes these results to growing trade with established markets and the opening of shipments to non-EU countries.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has vowed to take action against an injunction preventing it from withdrawing a poultry plant’s licence to operate.


The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned of possible disruptions in abattoirs, as over 650 meat hygiene inspectors have been balloted 
about a public service strike planned on Wednesday (30 November) to protest against low pensions.

Meat industry representatives have reacted furiously to claims by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that there is a culture of bullying and harassment in some sectors of 
the industry.


In an exclusive interview with Meat Trades Journal (November 25 issue, page 8), FSA chief executive Tim Smith said that, in a small percentage of plants, there is “systematic and routine bullying and harassing” of FSA staff, which is both physical and verbal in nature. 


High cull cow disposals are a cause for ‘real alarm’ for the meat industry, according to the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW). The association warned that calf numbers have declined significantly since last year and predicted that next spring will show another severe reduction.

Household food waste has fallen by 13% over the past three years, with significant benefits to the environment and the UK economy.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will hold an open Board meeting at its headquarters in London today at 1pm.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has expressed concern that ministers are considering making CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses to monitor animal welfare.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating following a serious injury to a worker at a meat processing plant in the Midlands.

Leading sausage case manufacturer Devro announced that sales volumes had shown strongth growth in the period from 1 July 2011 to date, compared to the same time last year, and confirmed that it is on course to meet expectations for the current year.

Ministers are currently deciding whether to make the installation of CCTV mandatory to monitor welfare in slaughterhouses, according to a paper from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

The paper, which will be presented to the FSA’s Board meeting on 15 November 2011, discusses the current level of uptake of CCTV for animal welfare monitoring in slaughterhouses and covers some of the issues and benefits of installing CCTV.

Poultry and pork farmers Packington Free Range has won its third accolade this year, winning the Special Award for Commitment to Continued Improvement at the 2011 Good Food Awards, organised by Taste of Staffordshire.

The organisation claims its 10 new cuts, developed from the loin, leg, forequarter and breast using seam butchery techniques, could improve gross margins by 20%.

Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) ‘Perfect Steaks and Roasts’ phone application has been awarded a top marketing accolade. Judged at the Scottish Creative Awards, the app features instructions, recipes and tips on how to cook Scotch Beef and Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has launched a scheme to promote the use of Scotch beef and lamb in cooking lessons at school. It offers vouchers of up to £100 for secondary schools to buy their meat at local retailers.

Protein sources such as meat and fish could be the key to curbing appetites and reducing obesity, according to new international research.

The poultry industry has a bright future, but strategic changes must be made, according to a new Rabobank report. Written by an international team of poultry specialists, Crossroads for Growth has predicted a 30% rise in global demand for poultry by 2020.

Food wholesaler DBC has launched a split-pack bacon product to increase flexibility and reduce meat wastage in the foodservice industry.

A Yorkshire breeder and catering butcher has completed an extensive rebrand and launched a new signature range of high-end meat products.

The industry should turn to the government for help in accessing new overseas markets, according to Agriculture Minister Jim Paice.

A lawyer specialising in food-industry regulation has questioned whether the Food Standards Agency (FSA) should surrender prosecution powers.

Processors will have to foot the bill if they want to create an alternative model for meat inspection charging, the head of the Food Standards Agency has said.


Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has announced the launch of an export strategy aiming to introduce Scotch Beef and Lamb in Scandinavia and Germany. The organisation has started investigating retail avenues, and hopes to raise awareness of Scotland’s food and drink products in northern European countries, chosen for their relatively high disposable income.

The International Meat Trade Association (IMTA) has called for increased flexibility over European Union (EU) commodity crisis management so that soaring meat prices - as well as price collapses - can be tamed by the European Commission.

Irish processing giant Dawn Meats has announced the acquisition of a beef abattoir in the English Lake District.

Mark Newman, a founder member of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) and a staunch supporter of the live market system, has died aged 52.

A flock of sheep worth up to £100,000 has been stolen from a farm in Lincolnshire, raising fears that the meat will enter the food chain illegally through unregulated abattoirs. 

Meat leaders have hit out at the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) latest update on its assessment of the impact of its proposals to increase charges for official controls on meat, describing it as “full of holes”.

Country of origin labelling (COOL) may be motivated by protectionism and could lead to the decline of inter-European trade, delegates at the sixth annual Belgian Meat Roundtable were warned.

Meat industry representatives have refuted claims that meat production is unsustainable and facing imminent decline.

Over the past few weeks, The Guardian, The Independent and the Daily Mail have all run stories suggesting that we are facing a reduction in meat sales, citing a myriad of reasons including price inflation, climate change, health concerns and high-profile anti-meat campaigns.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron put beef exports firmly on the agenda during a visit to Russia this week.

Welsh lamb bosses are hoping for a boost with the launch of a major £800,000 marketing campaign to extol the virtues of their meat.

UK Food wholesale business DBC Foodservice has opened a new customer service centre to help consolidate and streamline its ordering service.

The great-granddaughters of two rival Lincolnshire butchers have launched a new company, making hand-raised, artisan pork pies.

Meat wholesaler John Penny & Sons has launched its new consumer-friendly branding and website.

Tican Chilled commercial director Jim Wilkie is to step down from his position at the end of the week (29 October), the company has confirmed.

Ongoing rent negotiations between Smithfield Market tenants and site owner the Corporation of London are yet to reach a conclusion.

The Lord Mayor of the City of London has made his annual visit to Smithfield this week, taking a tour of the world-famous meat market.