Index
Hygiene in French abattoirs called 'apocalyptic'
// 06 May 2008
About a quarter of the meat that is sold in France was not processed in
slaughter plants that meet European requirements on hygiene, the weekly journal
Le Point recently reported on the basis of a secret report of the French
department of food safety (DGAL).
In almost half of the abattoirs for poultry and rabbits and in 42% of the
pig, cattle and calves hygiene issues were at stake, the magazine added.
"The situation in the slaughterhouses can sometimes be called apocalyptic,"
can be read in Le Point, giving a black list of 23 plants where hygiene is the
worst of all.
Accusations
DGAL, however, says the accusations are false. "The veterinary services
only research the animals upon arrival in the slaughterhouses and check the
carcasses' veterinary quality upon departure," vice-director Monique Eloit
said.
"Only 19 out of 333 French abattoirs, altogether responsible for 1% of the
total amount of processed meat, are in the lowest category of the French hygiene
scheme."
Closed
DGAL emphasisd that 59 French slaughterhouses have been closed in the last
five years, for economic or hygiene reasons. In addition, the service called on
their regional directors to increase the checks on smaller slaughterhouses in
order to meet the hygiene measures demanded by the EU.
This initiative follows an admonition from the European agency for animal
health that the situation in France in this respect has to improve.
Related website:
Le
Point (French)
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