Industry body the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has expressed its serious concerns over the prospect of an inflation-busting rise in meat inspection fees that it says will come into force today 1st April.
According to AIMS, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is preparing to impose increases in meat inspection charges that could be as high as 25%.
“Some operators will see their fees rise by as much as 25% overnight,” said Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director of AIMS.
AIMS, formally known as the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, is the UK’s largest post farm gate trade body representing abattoirs, licensed meat and poultry processors, egg packers, pet food manufacturers, and catering butchers. Its membership ranges from SMEs to PLCs with an ever-increasing number exporting across the globe.
“The British meat industry continues to thrive, not because of the FSA, but despite it.”
Jason Aldiss, AIMS
Dr Aldiss continued: “While the Government assures us that inflation is below 3%, it is curious then, that a taxpayer-funded body feels entitled to deliver an inflation-busting 25% increase with no justification whatsoever.
“The FSA’s mantra, endlessly repeated, is that meat inspection is a vital public protection. If that’s so, if this is truly a ‘public good’ then let the taxpayer pay for it in full, not just the hard-pressed food businesses already bearing the burden of keeping the nation fed.
“Even Chancellor Rachel Reeves called during the Spring Statement for a reduction in regulatory burden and cost. Yet here we have the FSA doing the exact opposite, hiking charges in meteoric fashion and acting like it answers to no one. And yet, the British meat industry continues to thrive, not because of the FSA, but despite it.”
Dr Aldiss continued: “We produce some of the safest, highest-quality meat in the world, and that’s a testament to the men and women working in abattoirs and across the wider supply chain. The industry delivers excellence in the face of continual interference, soaring charges, and regulatory overreach.
“It is a bitter reminder that the FSA, while claiming to protect the public, may in fact be driving out the very businesses that feed it.”
When asked for comment, Dr James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the FSA said: “All abattoirs will continue to receive a sizeable discount on the costs of meat inspections, which are required by law, to protect consumers and support exports. Industry as a whole receives £14.9 million of support on charges with a particular focus on the smallest abattoirs, who receive a discount of up to 90%.
“The level of increase is dependent on a number of factors including the size of the slaughterhouse, throughput of animals, FSA resource required and the designated discount band in which the slaughterhouse is placed. The changes in discount bands may affect some medium size abattoirs, who will, nonetheless continue to receive substantial support on the costs of these vital inspections this year.
“As there is an ongoing threat of legal action in this area, we are unable to comment further at this time. In the meantime more information on charging for our Official Controls can be found on food.gov.uk.”
