Recent media reports highlighting concerns that the traditional Sunday lunch may not be safe to eat have led to an MEP voicing his worries.
Reports have centred on the changes – claiming meat served up for Sunday lunches up and down the UK, could be ‘dirty’.
And now concerns have now been raised over new meat inspection regulations by East Midlands MEP Derek Clark.
Mr Clark, UKIP MEP, said he first become worried about changes in how meat is inspected at a meeting of the Association of Meat Inspectors in Oakham in 2009.
He said: "This new plan for meat inspection is bad news.
"A new system has been introduced which results in less stringent control of slaughtered animals with some inspectors less qualified than they used to be."
Mr Clark said the scheme would:
• Reduce the qualification levels for meat inspectors.
• Throw open the doors of slaughter houses – at the behest of the European Union – to supervision from vets from Europe less qualified than our own.
• Disbanding the Meat Hygiene Service – the organisation meat inspectors currently work under.
• Bringing in rules which would mean inspectors no longer inspect the whole carcass. Different inspectors would now inspect different parts of the carcass, one for the meat, one for the liver and so on.
Mr Clark said the FSA should not be allowed to reduce levels of public protection by reducing controls in UK slaughter houses.
He said: "At the moment – because of high levels of supervision in our slaughter houses – hardly any health problems arise.
"We should keep it that way. How many people will have to die or become ill before they discover the folly of their unnecessary meddling?"
