Meat wholesalers demand action on 'disproportionate' inspections

THE financial plight of the Scottish meat processing industry was underlined yesterday in a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In it Alistair Darling was urged to revise the UK's meat inspection and BSE regulatory regime.

Failure to act, he was warned, could lead to increased job losses and reduced tax revenues.

In the letter, Ian Anderson, executive manager of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, stated: "In this time of severe economic hardship for both the UK government and the British meat industry, proportionate meat inspection controls would save government and struggling meat companies many millions of pounds."

He also said action on meat controls could "avoid the double blow of higher unemployment and reduced tax revenues" while still safeguarding consumers.

After pointing out that SAMW member companies had a combined turnover of more than 700 million a year and directly employed more than 3,000 staff, Mr Anderson argued that meat controls were currently "very prescriptive", particularly those introduced in response to the BSE epidemic some 20 years ago.

"The UK government funded these controls but the meat industry has also had to shoulder very heavy additional costs," he wrote.

"These very onerous burdens are shared by both parties to this day. The BSE controls were absolutely essential at the time they were brought in.

"However, the disease situation has transformed beyond recognition since then, with BSE almost eradicated in the UK, and right across Europe. The case to support the current disproportionate regime is no longer valid."

Anderson admitted last night that the letter to the Chancellor was written out of "extreme frustration" at the lack of action.

There was support from the Scottish Government and a very constructive meeting had been held with Lord Rooker representing the Westminster government but there was now a need to take the problem over to Brussels.