Scottish Meat Industry Forum –  17 May 2019

In attendance
Ian McWatt (IM), Sandy McDougall (SM), Karen Robertson (KR), Graham Cooper (GC), Oana Tataru (OT), Michal Houston (MH), Joanne Smith (JS) (Secretariat)
SAMW – Martin Morgan (MM), John McMaster (JM), Billy Stewart (BS), Frank Ross, Andy McGowan (AM) by TC), HMMH – Sandy Duncan (SD). Abattoir Association – Ronnie Eunson (RE) (by TC). SFMTA – Douglas Scott (DS). SG – Jesus Gallego (JG) (by TC), Phil Burns (PB) (by TC).
 
Meat Charging – IM / SM – verbal update
Extension of charging to other protein sources. Will engage to consult on potential 2% rise which is built in to the contract.
 
CCTV Phil Burns gave a verbal update, draft legislation will mirror the English version. Storage for 90 days. Investigating possibility of funding for installation at smaller abattoirs. Ministers are still considering the position, no consultation. Some of Scotland's 26 abattoirs may require more funding than others. RE asked for more dialogue on the subject.
 Trying to achieve transparency and need to agree what the interrogation of the footage will look like. Brexit is holding up drafting. Hope to complete draft by end of 2019. A lead in time for implementation thereafter.
IM said that he was impressed how the technology had progressed to give clear images in dark areas. Question over what the definition of what is 'clear and visible'. Suggested that experience could be gleaned for England and Wales. Needs a minimum resolution.
USA audit by CCTV, BS felt that integrated traceability system.
MM pointed out that CCTV would not improve animal welfare but would only place lobby groups. He asked what will lobby groups demand once CCTV is installed? JG nothing to hide. MM asked for a meeting with the minister to discuss the implementation.
IM concluded what is expected in terms of the scrutiny and what is acceptable resolution. Funding will be directed towards micro establishments.

Official Control Regulation (2017/625) – KR – verbal update framework for feed and food. Maintains risk based approach to controls. Extension of article 50 means still unclear if OCR needs to be implemented in December. Need to prepare, potential impact on flexibilities and low throughput in wild game plants. (Could change to full OV attendance). As a third country no flexibilities apply.
 
Sheep Ageing – KR – verbal update. Date based system has not been implemented. An amendment was needed to the TSE regulations. England and Wales are taking measures to make the necessary amendments.
 
Cutting Plant Cold Store Project – SM – verbal update. Progress report to FSS June meeting. Across the year cutting plants can see up to five officers, will attempt to reduce that to two. MM said that on sharing of industry information his members saw no benefit of sharing third party audits so would not participate. BPMA had assumed responsibility to edit the MIG but there had been further thoughts by FSA that they might need to take a bigger role. [DS – I cannot see how regulators are going to accept what industry feels should be in the guide] 
Performance Report – IM –
Positive trends on animal welfare, FSS will increase unannounced animal welfare visits to the small number of plants who are persistent offenders.
Still a lot of FOIs on animal welfare. Follow FSA by publishing the information. Presentation of the information has been contextualised. It reads that the six monthly total incidents for the period between October 2018 and March 2019, equates to 0.0006% of total red meat and 0.0002% poultry throughput.

Abattoir Association Update – key emerging issues – RE
Mobile abattoir potential. Concerned over implications.
IM said that when this first surfaced there were concerns about dilution of requirements. He stressed that this was not the case. SM said at very early stages. KR agreed that the exact same regulations would apply. A Welsh set up is being watched. There was an initiation meeting regards mobile abattoirs held on the same day as this meeting (in Scotland I think).
There is an interest within the craft butcher / farm shop sector in mobile abattoirs with a vision that they would visit premises that had an infrastructure of refrigeration, by product storage and environmental controls. [DS: Find out what happened in Northern Ireland re new abattoir].
 
HSE Performance – MH – verbal update
Carcasses falling off the line should be recorded.
Of the 62 cutting plants (of 65 total) visited no serious failings identified but checks may be made upon visits.
Trying to share best practice.
 
FSS Veterinary Update – key emerging issues – EG
Classification of head meat, store under 3C. Anything removed from the carcase is regarded as offal. Questioned what happens to hot removed fillets? It is remove after inspection and therefore a cutting plant issue.
Passport disposal no change, although

Action on dirty cattle
Dirty cattle was still an issue with abattoirs and repeat offenders are common. Back in May 2018, AM felt that it was a failing of the QMS standards and IM had taken this to that committee but had been knocked back by Acoura. (Jamie Chapman needs to know about this when attending next QMS Standards Committee).
This is a food safety issue, the problem lies at the farm and SAMW felt that FSS should be taking a harder line. FSS officials in plant will ask operators for data on clean animals to collate and analyse prior to inviting QMS to attend SMIF meeting.

Note – post Brexit third country approval needs to be applied for by abattoirs if their customers are exporting products.

 SFMTA – key emerging issues – DS
Raised fact that FSS had provided guidance for consumers repressing containers and bags but they did not give advice to food handlers.

Raised problem identified with one of our member cutting plants who is not collecting any category 2 material. This material has to be disposed of in a legally compliant manner. The FBO is struggling with the requirements though as they do not wish to be using dye nor do they want the added cost of a separate cat 2 uplift.

FSS confirmed that the debris that is collected in the drain cover even if it is a small quantity, needs to be disposed of as category 2 material. The FBO will have about 300 g per day but still has to treat such waste as cat 2.

[In private Frank Clark (SAMW) told me that there were two options 1. Find a farmer who is registered to apply cat 2 waste on his ground or 2. Buy a small composter bin.]

FSS – Policy Update – key emerging issues – KR
Transport of over temperature meat being considered by UECBA.
 
FSS Operations Update – key emerging issues – SM
Chinese incoming mission visiting UK focussed on beef, Mexican and USA missions in June. US interested in pork, Japanese in beef.

Future Agenda Items
Invite Alan Clarke and Suzanne Woodman, Brands Integrity Manager from QMS.
 
Date of next meeting
16 August 2019 – SFMTA Office, Perth.

After the meeting, DS spoke to IM and SM re spec for dressing deer carcasses. Some work has been done on this and FSS will send DS the info which might allow SMT to create a certificate of competence in future.