A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
New guidance to help protect people who buy meat direct from farmers has been issued by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Over the past three years there has been a growth in direct sales of meat by farmers, particularly at farmers' markets, and meat sold through these channels must, by law, be cut at cutting premises licensed under the Meat Hygiene Regulations (MHR).
The Licensing and monitoring of these premises is the responsibility of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), an executive agency of the FSA.
However, the FSA is concerned that not all licensed premises are willing or able to cut up small amounts of meat for individual farmers, and that some farmers find it difficult to get the meat they sell cut for sale because there is no local meat cutting plant. As a result, they often take the meat carcase to be cut up at a local butcher instead.
The Agency decided that since this practice was so widespread, it should investigate whether it posed an unacceptable public health risk. The results of its investigation suggested that there was no such risk, provided that measures equivalent to those in the 1995 Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations are followed.
As a result, the agency will allow local butchers in England and Wales to cut up meat for local farmers, and has charged local authority food enforcers with the task of ensuring that such practices are carried out within the law.