SAMW dismisses claims that FSA review could cause chaos

Responding to concerns raised by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in an article in last week’s Grocer, SAMW president Alan Craig said that fears over safety and labelling were “completely without foundation” and merely served to deflect attention from the industry’s concerns over FSA inefficiencies.

“The truth in relation to safety and labelling is that our members will be looking to maintain standards as they are as a result of this review – a point that we have made several times in previous comments on this issue,” he said.

“SAMW is also well aware of the need for unity and common standards across country borders. Our member businesses have a combined turnover in excess of £1bn. This is based on trade throughout the UK and Europe. There is no way we would ever wish to complicate this trade.

Craig added that all the Scottish meat industry wanted was a meat inspection system that was well managed, efficient and correctly costed. “It’s not the safety and labelling standards that need to be changed, therefore, but the method of delivering those standards to our industry.”

The review of the FSA in Scotland is being carried out by an independent panel, led by former UK chief vet Jim Scudamore. The panel will consider the feasibility of establishing a dedicated Scottish FSA, and also the merits of establishing a standalone meat inspection delivery service in Scotland.

BRC director general Stephen Robertson told The Grocer that he feared a removal of FSA functions in Scotland could cause confusion among retailers, many of whom have supply chains across both England and Scotland. “Can you imagine a situation where in England the FSA says a product is unsafe, but in Scotland the body says it is safe?” he said. “It could be chaos.”

The review panel is expected to report its findings to Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond later this year.
 

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