Meat hygiene service review

Thursday 26 July 2007

This qualitative research, commissioned in May 2007, looks at consumer knowledge of and attitudes towards meat hygiene.

The Food Standards Agency is reviewing the delivery of Official Controls in approved meat premises in light of EU regulations that came into force in January 2006.
As part of this review, qualitative research among consumers was commissioned in May 2007 to explore their knowledge of and attitudes to meat hygiene, and in particular:

• knowledge of and beliefs about the safety of UK meat
• views on who is responsible for the production of safe meat in the UK
• knowledge of the current system of meat hygiene inspection and animal welfare issues in UK meat plants
• views on how practices in these areas could be improved
• response to the proposed models for new ways of operating controls on the inspection of meat in approved premises
• views on the cost of the service

The attached report summarises the results of the research. The FSA Board discussed the final report and recommendations from the Review at their meeting on 19 July 2007. The full report and a webcast of the Board discussion is available at the link below.