Brian's departing speech packs a punch

ANM Group boss Brian Pack, who retires on Thursday 30th April, told the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers' conference one of his biggest five regrets as he approached retirement was that a supermarket ombudsman has not yet been pointed – despite various calls.

Support for a “policeman” also came from Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead, who said he was determined to stop any abuse of power by retailers.

Mr Pack added: “In many ways, the supermarkets are like the banks when they were booming – everyone from bank employees to directors to shareholders to customers to society in general – and the government – were delighted with the fruits of the boom and didn't wish to scrape too deep to see if there was a problem and so it is today with supermarkets.

“The chancellor and prime minister and consumers at large are happy to see food prices kept down and don't wish to know what the reality of this is – and definitely don't want to think about the consequences, one of which will be to greatly limit consumer choice in the future.”

Mr Pack also regretted that 13 years on from the BSE crisis, the industry had been unable to throw off the shackles and costs imposed on it. Regulations were disproportionate to risk. He called on industry to commission a scientific report on BSE to take advantage of the improved understanding of the disease. It could be used to argue for reforms.

He also hit out at the pressure-cooker atmosphere that existed between the Meat Hygiene Service and slaughterhouses. Its constant threat to prosecute was wrong as was its obsession to pursue firms through the courts for suspected tiny specks of spinal cord in carcases. He said the likelihood was that if all the small pieces of cord were gathered up and eaten they would have no impact on human health.

Mr Pack was also disappointed at the animosity that still existed between farmers and processors at a leadership level. He hit out particularly at the National Beef Association and its “inflammatory manner”.

He urged closer relationships, suggesting everyone worked to solve issues such as belly-clipping of cattle.

Mr Pack's last regret was on the Common Agricultural Policy and the ineffective way money was spent. It was unfortunate the £400million of support was not better targeted.

His no-holds-barred speech was warmly welcomed.

Mr Pack and Richard Cracknell, the boss of ABP, one of Britain's biggest meat processors, and who is also about to retire, were both honoured at the SAMW conference held in Edinburgh on Saturday 25th April 2009.