[hughesy]

It seems the EU, backed by the UK government are introducing some changes to carcass inspections at UK abattoirs from june 1st. Chief among them is that every pig carcass will have to be tested for trichinella. Yes, EVERY carcass. This will cause added cost to producers and abattoir operators and could well mean your carcasses will have to be held at the abattoir until the test results are received back. There was by all accounts a consultation period with the opportunity for stakeholders to give their views but this was short and not publicised anywhere that pig producers were likely to see it. Well done to the BPA for keeping us all informed and consulting with the government on our behalf, they are after all the voice of the small scale pig keeper .
Having spoken to the vet at the abattoir this morning it seems that no useful information is to be had about the practicalities of this and that probably a chaotic mess will happen on or soon after june 1st as no extra testing facilities are available and they will be swamped.
The reasons for this new tactic are apparently to control contamination af pig meat by contact with wild boar. Not very likely in most of the UK and there has been no case of trichinosis here for 30 years.

[HappyHippy]

I'd posted something a week or so back having been in to our abattoir with a couple of baconers - the impression I got was the test would only apply to pigs born outdoors 
Currently all sows get tested anyway and since ours are born in the shed the office staff at the abattoir didn't think it would make much of a difference for us, though I suppose there will be more boxes to tick and forms to fill in 

[Fowgill Farm]

SO GO USE your vote tomorrow and get us out of the EU!
It no go good moaning about the EU if we won't do anything about it!
More red tape...............thought DEFRA was supposed to be making less for farmers!
Mandy

[hughesy]

It's not red tape that bothers me it's cost and potential delays in getting my carcasses back. And the fact that the FSA/government/EU have sneaked this into place without much notice and expect everyone to just get in line. It won't affect the big boys just the small producers.

[oaklandspigs]

Quote from the National pig association :

'The new testing regime was to have been introduced next month but the Food Standards Agency has this week put the proposed changes back to the end of October because of "low awareness and capability for the changes".'

so on hold, NPA campaigning for it to be scrapped !

BPA doing bugger all as usual !

[hughesy]

Oaklands you've cheered me up, thanks! Agree the BPA are pretty useless they should be informing and supporting small producers, ie their paying members, but as usual, nothing!.