Abattoir 'found to be transporting warm meat' fined thousands

An abattoir in Oldham has been fined thousands of pounds after meat and offal wasn't kept chilled enough before being transported out.

The Food Standards Agency said the 'breaches of public health regulations' were taken seriously by a court. The case concerned Higginshaw Abattoir Ltd, based in Royton, Oldham, which was also ordered to pay £20,000 towards court costs.

The FSA said the company was ordered to pay £12,000 in a fine after being found guilty of charges relating to the dispatch of 'over-temperature meat'.

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A spokesperson said after the case: "The law states that meat must be immediately chilled and kept below 7C, and below 3C in the case of offal, before it can be dispatched from a slaughterhouse.

"On various dates between December 2018 and June 2019, sheep carcasses and offal were found on transport vehicles ready for dispatch from Higginshaw Abattoir while well above the legal temperature limits. The abattoir was therefore found to have failed in its duty to ensure that meat was properly chilled and maintained below the required limits."

The FSA said a 'Remedial Action Notice' (RAN) was served on the abattoir to ensure compliance with the legal limits. But it added that on four separate dates following the issue of the legal notice, the company was still found to be transporting warm meat.

The abattoir, said the FSA, was found guilty of 11 out of 15 charge it faced, including breaches of the RAN. The spokesperson said as well as the fine the company, based at The Abattoir, off Higginshaw Lane, was also ordered to pay £20,000 towards the FSA's legal costs and the statutory victim