UK: Food Standards Agency revokes slaughter licences
By Chris Mercer | 21 January 2013
The UK's Food Standards Agency has revoked the licences of slaughtermen at High Peak Meat Exports, after a video depicting animal abuse was posted on YouTube.
Food officials said the footage, filmed by Hillside Animal Sanctuary, provided sufficient evidence to scrap the licences of the slaughtermen involved. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) also warned it is investigating the footage, with a view to bringing prosecutions.
Evidence of abuse in the footage includes "excessive use of a stick on a horse", hitting a horse with a rope and having more than one horse in the so-called stun box at the same time, said FSA.
"I was shocked by the footage and that is why we took immediate action to make sure the individuals involved could not continue to slaughter animals," said Craig Kirby, head of approvals and veterinary advice at FSA.
Action taken against animal abuse in slaughterhouse
The FSA has been made aware of footage filmed by Hillside Animal Sanctuary and put on You Tube which showed animal welfare offences carried out by slaughtermen in a UK abattoir, High Peak Meat Exports.
The FSA believes it is important that action is taken against people who commit animal welfare offences, so after viewing the film, the Agency immediately withdrew the licences of the slaughtermen featured abusing animals in the footage. This means they cannot continue to slaughter animals.
The FSA is also reviewing the footage and carrying out further investigations with a view to a potential prosecution.
The most serious concerns identified in the footage were:
- several occasions of more than one horse in the stun box at the same time
- excessive use of a stick on a horse
- hitting a horse with a rope
Craig Kirby, Head of Approvals and Veterinary Advice at the FSA, said: 'I was shocked by the footage and that is why we took immediate action to make sure the individuals involved could not continue to slaughter animals. The FSA takes animal welfare at slaughter very seriously, and we will always investigate and take action when we see breaches of the legislation.'
Original source: http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2013/jan/horse-abuse#.UP04iHfQP7A
Sectors: Meat & poultry
View next/previous articles
21 Jan 2013 -
Currently reading -
UK: Food Standards Agency revokes slaughter licences
21 Jan 2013 -
Related research
Ambient Meat Market in United Kingdom to 2016
The report presents detailed data on consumption trends in the Ambient Meat category in United Kingdom, analyzing consumption volumes and values. It also provides indispensable data on distribution channels, profiles of companies active in the Meat s...
Chilled Raw Packaged Meat - Processed Market in United Kingdom to 2016
The report presents detailed data on consumption trends in the Chilled Raw Packaged Meat - Processed category in United Kingdom, analyzing consumption volumes and values at segment level. It also provides indispensable data on distribution channels, ...
Chilled Raw Packaged Meat - Whole Cuts Market in United Kingdom to 2016
The report presents detailed data on consumption trends in the Chilled Raw Packaged Meat - Whole Cuts category in United Kingdom, analyzing consumption volumes and values at segment level. It also provides indispensable data on distribution channels,...
Related articles
HORSEMEAT: UK unveils "wide-ranging" horsemeat review
The UK government has revealed it is planning to launch a "wide-ranging" review of the horsemeat scandal.
HORSEMEAT: Bute found in Asda corned beef
The veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or bute, has been found in Asda Smart Price corned beef.
There are currently no comments on this article
Be the first to comment on this article