Just waded through 17(yes, I kid you not, 17) pages of the latest MHS audit for my abattoir. And we're a small place! Bureaucratic job justification at its best, that's for sure, one of a long list of MHS/FSA people who have spent time at Bakers abattoir during the last six months or so.

The list. Here we go! Official veterinarian; Lead veterinarian; MHS Business Director; MHS Business Manager; Senior Veterinarian to check on junior veterinarian; MHS auditor; meat inspector; senior meat inspector;audit appeals veterinarian; Regional meat hygiene advisor.
Add to that list additional correspondees; Chief Executive(MHS); audit administrator; veterinary manager; finance charges manager; information governance and risk manager (again, I kid you not); finance executive. And these are the ones I can remember!

Plus, an example of a latest MHS shenanigan. As Food Business Operator(FBO), it is my legal duty to check that cattle passports,ear tags match up with the animals that arrive. This involves a physical check before slaughter. As it stands, after slaughter, one of the two full-time meat inspectors re-checks the ear tags with the kill numbers and writes this information on a sheet of paper.


SO far, so good. From April 5th, however, this is going to change. The FBO will now have to do the post slaughter checks as well with the MHS doing a 1o% of turnover spot check each day.
OK, nothing wrong with that. But guess what! If the MHS find any mistakes, they MAY(with MHS read will), charge extra! This with a meat inspector stood right there watching procedures, and who is part of a full-time inspection team that costs between you as a taxpayer and me as FBO a figure rapidly approaching £4000 a week anyway!!! Yes, a week! You couldn't make it up, could you.

Not a good day. Welcome to Browns Britain.

Toby Baker