Supermarkets' abattoirs CCTV pledge

Both Bradford-based Morrisons and Sainsbury's have announced that cameras will be in use within the next few months in all abattoirs supplying them.

Leeds-based Asda said it already had cameras in five of its 35 abattoirs and was reviewing policy on the remaining 30.

A Morrisons spokesman said: "Our customers want to know that animals are treated well through the slaughtering process and we believe installing CCTV is the best way to demonstrate that we have the highest possible standards. We can achieve this because we are the only major food retailer to own our own food manufacturing business."

Sainsbury's said: "We are working with our suppliers to get CCTV installed at all of our supplying sites, across all species."

Compassion in World Farming wants CCTV to be compulsory in all EU slaughterhouses and the Soil Association is in the early stages of making CCTV monitoring at slaughter one of its standards for certified organic food.

Julia Wrathall, head of the RSPCA's farm animal science department, said: "We are delighted that Morrisons has taken this extremely important step in helping to safeguard animal welfare and hope that this will encourage others to do the same."

However, some fear the cost of CCTV installation and maintenance will come out of the tight margins on which farmers and meat processors are already operating.

Jason Aldiss, Leeds-based vice president of the Veterinary Public Health Association, which includes abattoir inspectors, said recently that his organisation was committed to considering the case for CCTV but was not convinced it was the answer.

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers has pointed out that the industry already has to pay the Meat Hygiene Service (now part of the Food Standards Agency) to police the slaughter business – and the Government wants to withdraw its contribution to the costs.

CW 27/11/10