Agency comments on meat hygiene story

Tuesday 27 November 2007

David Statham, Director of Enforcement at the Food Standards Agency, spoke today on BBC Radio 4's Today programme following a report about the enforcement of food hygiene regulations.

The programme looked at a company called McLaren Foods, which allegedly delivered meat from poorly refrigerated vans to restaurants and public institutions. A whistleblower told the Today programme that there were serious hygiene concerns when transporting meat and that the company practised 'door-stepping' – leaving meat outside a delivery premises if there was no one there to collect it.

David Statham told Today that such behaviour 'would be against law'. 'It's not stored at the right temperature and it's exposed to risk of contamination.'

The company has subsequently gone into administration.

Any company that delivers either fresh or frozen meat to their customers has a legal responsibility to ensure their product is safe to eat and is of the quality expected by the consumer. Unhygienic processing, storage or transportation of food is unacceptable and can put the consumer at risk. The Agency will look into any evidence which suggests hygiene problems along any part of the farm-to-fork chain in conjunction with any relevant local authority responsible for enforcement action.

David Statham pointed out that the Agency expected serious powers to be used where there are serious breaches. 'If necessary, we will assist local authorities with resources and expertise. We think spot checks should be the norm – that is the guidance we have given and it’s in the statutory code of practice.'