Thursday 20 November 2008

MHS audit reports published October 2007

Monday 1 October 2007

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The Food Standards Agency is publishing certain audit reports from the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), following routine visits to approved slaughterhouses and cutting plants.

The Agency is publishing these reports as a result of requests handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004. Additional reports may be added to this page in the future.

The MHS has responsibility for the enforcement of food hygiene regulations in meat premises in Great Britain that require veterinary control and are approved by the Food Standards Agency. The current risk based auditing system came into place on 1 January 2006 following the introduction of new food hygiene legislation. Audit reports are produced following visits by the MHS to assess food safety management systems and compliance with regulations in approved slaughterhouses and cutting plants. These reports also provide guidance for food business operators to help ensure them meet their responsibilities for complying with legal requirements. The MHS audit standards range through excellent, acceptable, poor and unacceptable.

The MHS audit report does not include the plant’s action plan, which sets out the short, medium and long term actions that will be taken to address issues. The frequency of audit visits is determined using a risk based scoring system that takes account of the nature and range of business activities and also the Food Business Operator's compliance history.

Under section 30 of the Freedom of Information Act (investigations and proceedings), details of breaches of legislation have been removed from the audit reports. In addition, a small amount of information has been withheld under section 40 (as personal information, i.e. people’s names), under section 43 (as commercially sensitive), under section 38 (as harmful to health and safety) and under regulation 12(5)(e) of the Environmental Information Regulations (commercial information protected by confidentiality).

Additional detailed notes

The HACCP section of the audit process, which forms a significant element of the confidence in food safety management, did not take effect and was not finalised in the MHS Manual for Official Controls until 9 Oct 2006. Before this it was in draft form
Cranberry Food’s Abergavenny plant (7013) is now closed, with primary processing functions consolidated at the Scropton plant (4026)
A major capital expenditure programme is planned for the Two Sisters plant in Autumn 2007
Donald Russell’s March 06 and September 06 reports took place prior to major rebuilding works at the plant

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MHS audit reports published October 2007

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