MHS audit reports published June 2007

Tuesday 19 June 2007

The Food Standards Agency is today publishing audit reports from the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), following routine visits to Bernard Matthews Plc in Holton during the period March 2006 to January 2007. The Agency is publishing these reports as a result of requests submitted under the Freedom of Information Act.

Audit reports are produced following visits by the MHS to assess food safety management systems and compliance with regulations in approved slaughterhouses and cutting plants. These reports also provide guidance for food business operators to help ensure they meet their responsibilities for complying with legal requirements.

The guidance given by the MHS in the reports has been actioned to a satisfactory level by staff at the Bernard Matthews plant in Holton. The MHS audit standards range through excellent, acceptable, poor and unacceptable. In all cases the reports detail that the Bernard Matthews Holton plant was ranked in the acceptable or excellent range.

Under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act (personal information); people's names have been removed from the audit reports. In addition, a small amount of information has been withheld under section 43 (as commercially sensitive), and under regulation 12(5) (e) of the Environmental Information Regulations (commercial information protected by confidentiality).