Effects of centralizing meat inspection and food safety inspections in Finnish small-scale slaughterhouses

摘要

The official control of small-scale slaughterhouses has received criticism for inconsistent meat inspection fees and for the poor quality guidance and cooperation with food business operators (FBO) in Finland. The official control including both meat inspection (ante and post mortem) and food safety inspections (verification of FBO's self-inspection) of small-scale slaughterhouses was centralized from municipalities to the National Food Safety Authority (NFSA) in 2011 to address these perceived shortcomings. This study aimed to investigate the early effects of the centralization of meat inspection and food safety inspections, specifically the standardization of meat inspection fees and the quality of meat inspection services. In March all small-scale slaughterhouses (n = 52) received a questionnaire on the effects of centralizing meat inspection. We interviewed 12 small-scale slaughterhouses on site and the official veterinarians of ten of these small-scale slaughterhouses by phone.