By Jason Aldiss, head of external affairs, Association of Independent Meat Suppliers
Recent discussions by the UK Government’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACOM), featuring input from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), British Veterinary Association (BVA), and DEFRA, have highlighted an alleged shortage of vets willing to work as Official Veterinarians (OVs) in abattoirs. However, this narrative is inherently disingenuous and overlooks critical historical context and fails to address underlying issues.
Thirty years ago, UK-trained vets, fluent in English and well-versed in British farming practices, supervised every slaughterhouse in the UK.
This changed in 1995 with the rise of veterinary employment agencies, importing large numbers of unemployed vets from the EU. These vets were paid very low salaries with poor English, replaced UK-trained vets, leading to communication barriers and a diminished perception of the value of the vet in abattoirs.
The supposed shortage of vets in abattoirs diverts attention from the more pressing shortage in the pet sector. Here, communication is crucial, yet less critical than in abattoirs, where clear communication with Food Business Operators (FBOs) is essential.
Vets with stronger English skills and knowledge of UK farming should focus on public health, while those with less proficiency could better serve in the pet sector. Indeed, this could also potentially serve to reduce the exorbitant fees being charged by vets in the companion animal sector.
Abattoir regulations have remained largely unchanged for over a century, failing to incorporate modern technology and address modern food safety risks. Basic tasks performed by OVs currently could be managed by paraprofessionals as part of the vet-led team approach, freeing up vets for more complex duties. Furthermore, the lack of electronic certification in exporting premises further wastes veterinary resources – indeed it is estimated using modern export certification systems that are already permitted could release more than 100 full-time vets immediately.
Large veterinary employment agencies have prioritised profit over innovation and modernisation, flooding the market with non-UK trained vets and creating a two-tier system that devalues the role of vets in the food supply chain. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has further exacerbated this problem by permitting vets with lower English language skills – to work in abattoirs only – to enter the country further devaluing the OV role and making the recruitment of UK trained vets into this role even more difficult. Recruiting UK-trained vets into this role is almost impossible as they want to be paid appropriately and undertake tasks that are useful and valued.
The UK veterinary profession needs visionary leadership and modern public health controls that use veterinary expertise effectively. A comprehensive review of the role of vets in abattoirs and the broader food production chain is urgently needed to protect public health and address the concerns within the veterinary profession” he continued.
We need a regulatory framework that protects vets in the food supply chain and raises their status, ensuring that they are paid well, perform well and deliver a useful function rather than simply being deployed on a “stack ’em high – sell ’em low basis” as described by a previous senior FSA official.