The contract for Official Controls delivery in approved meat and dairy establishments in England and Wales will be delivered by Eville and Jones Ltd, on behalf of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) from 30th March 2020.
The FSA says the three-year contract award has been agreed to ensure food is safe and animal welfare is protected in FSA-approved establishments.
The delivery of these controls support current EU and domestic standards and is valued at approximately £84m over the three-year term.
Eville and Jones Ltd were the successful bidder, after undergoing a tender exercise set against various technical and commercial criteria. It has been awarded six separate contracts across all areas of England and Wales, to provide official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors to work alongside FSA staff.
Eville and Jones is the incumbent supplier so FSA says change is expected to be minimal. However, additional services for dairy and audit functions are included and will require some additional training and preparation ahead of contract start date.
Colin Sullivan, FSA chief operating officer, said: “The delivery of these Official Controls are vital in maintaining the public’s confidence in meat and dairy food products and are also an essential requirement for the UK food industry where these sectors are worth over £8.5bn per year.
“We are confident that our choice of supplier will work in an excellent partnership with us and continue to deliver high standards and value for money.”
Reacting to the appointment Nick Allen at the BMPA said: ‘’We congratulate Eville and Jones on being awarded the contract. The next few years will be challenging times for the industry and there will be many changes. We look forward to working closely with them in the future.’’
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
