Farming News - Scottish abattoirs reject ‘intimidating’ meat inspection action
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Scottish abattoirs reject ‘intimidating’ meat inspection action
Scotland's red meat processors have refused to be intimidated by Food Standards Scotland's (FSS) use of legal action to resolve a dispute over their massive increase in meat inspection charges.
The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) is taking a calm and measured approach to the dispute by meeting Stephen Flynn MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, in early September, and the Chief Executive of FSS, also in September.
FSS announced its 2026/27 rates in March, giving businesses just three weeks' notice of an 8.6% rise in Official Veterinarian charges and a 10.4% surge in Meat Hygiene Inspector rates. This broke an earlier FSS agreement that future increases would be presented with sufficient time for proper discussion to take place before any new rates took effect.
SAMW members agreed collectively to continue paying for all FSS hours delivered but to calculate payments at 2025/26 charge rates, pending a promised Scottish Government meeting. Having been delayed by the Scottish Parliament election, that meeting is scheduled for 8 September. FSS, nevertheless, issued final demands for the disputed balances, adding late-payment interest and warning that court proceedings may follow.
SAMW President Alan Brown said: "Instead of waiting a few more weeks for the meeting with the Cabinet Secretary, FSS pressed ahead with debt recovery action. Our members have never refused to pay for official controls. They have continued to pay for every hour of inspection delivered within their businesses. The dispute concerns the additional sums created by the new rates, which were introduced with inadequate notice and before political engagement took place.
"The industry will not be intimidated by FSS instructing solicitors or threatening court action. Members have taken a legitimate and collective position and will maintain that position until we have met the Cabinet Secretary. We remain willing to engage constructively. Escalation by FSS will not silence the industry or make these concerns disappear."
The 2026/27 charges include a 16.3% increase in indirect costs by FSS. Businesses cannot be expected to absorb increases of this scale without adequate notice, transparency, or clear evidence that every opportunity for efficiency has been pursued.
SAMW's concern goes beyond the size of this year's increase. Under the current arrangements, FSS is effectively free to determine the costs it allocates to industry, while also controlling the service model and the evidence used to justify those costs. There is no genuinely independent mechanism to test whether the costs being passed to businesses are efficient, necessary and proportionate.
"Cost recovery cannot be a blank cheque," said Mr Brown. "FSS should not be both judge and jury of its own charging decisions without questions being asked about its own efficiency.
"SAMW is calling for an independent adjudicator to be appointed with the authority to scrutinise the costs allocated to industry, assess whether FSS is operating efficiently and proportionately, benchmark its performance and require meaningful improvement.
"We fully support strong, independent official controls that maintain confidence in Scotland's red meat sector. Independent regulation, however, should not mean freedom from scrutiny or accountability."