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.