October 11, 2006

 

EU to conduct inspections of UK dairies

 

 

Come November, food safety inspectors from the EU would be investigating how UK dairy firms test for antibiotics residues in milk, after it banned cheese from one UK company last week for having antibiotics and other contaminants, an industry media reported.

 

The Commission warned that there are great disparities between the interpretation of rules between the Commission and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), dairyreporter.com reported.

 

UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) have earlier charged the Commission for "attacking" its assertion that UK dairy products are safe.

 

If the two sides fail to come to an agreement, the Commission would be taking legal action against the FSA.

 

The Commission said that FSA has failed to take corrective measures in certain cases.

 

The EU's first inspection at Bowland Dairies in northern England Bowland in June found problems such as antibiotics in milk and cheese containing floor sweepings. A follow-up visit in September found that little progress has been made.

 

The EU would be handing a FSA a report on the case soon. FSA has denied any wrongdoing on its part, saying that its own investigations have found nothing amiss.

 

Bowland maintains it was the innocent victim caught in a spat between the Commission and FSA.

 

The dairy had recently won a case against the Commission in the European Court of First Instance over antibiotics residues in its milk and the Commission was told to withdraw a food alert warning that Bowland produce was unsafe.

 

The dairy said it was up for another challenge in the courts again if the Commission chooses to pursue the matter.

 

A spokesman from the dairy said the industry is open to inspection any time, adding that UK dairies are inspected regularly and so far there has been nothing wrong.