FFA to meet with FSA

Farmers For Action will meet with the Food Standards Agency in Belfast on Friday of this week to discuss the revelations by the BBC in connection with a Freedom of Information request put forward by them to the FSA.

This revealed that more than a fifth of meat samples tests in 2017 found DNA from animals not on the labelling.

Out of the 665 results collected from the FSA, 145 were partly or wholly made up of unspecified meat.

FFA are concerned that all food issues have a habit of coming back to bite the farmer in the form of more penalties and red tape, yet 99% approximately of food issues have no such foundation such are the standards that farmers have to adhere to!

An FFA spokesperson said: “In fairness to FSA from previous meetings over the years they say there is a huge void of legislation on food fraud that needs sorting to give them the power they need to make clear examples of food fraud perpetrators whether it be with labelling, production issues, or both!

“The further question according to FFA, is what will happen in this area when (and if) we leave the EU, next year, in short, has Westminster got what it takes to tighten the noose on corporate food retailers, corporate food wholesalers and corporate food processing fraud?”