Food Hygiene Sees Post-Pandemic Gains (Image Credits: Foodsafetynews.com)
Great Britain – Authorities unveiled a detailed annual report outlining official controls performed across feed and food safety, animal health and welfare, and plant health during 2024.[1]
Food Hygiene Sees Post-Pandemic Gains
Local authorities cleared backlogs in lower-risk establishments while maintaining high standards in priority areas. Compliance rates for top-rated hygiene interventions reached 99 percent in England for A-rated sites and 97 percent for B-rated ones, with similar strong performances in Wales at 100 percent and 99 percent respectively.[1] Lower-rated sites showed improvement, such as D-rated establishments in England climbing from 58 percent to 67 percent intervention achievement. Meat audits in England and Wales achieved 95.4 percent good or satisfactory ratings, surpassing key performance indicators.
These figures marked a return to pre-pandemic levels for high-risk sites. Enforcement actions increased, with formal notices in England rising 7 percent to 3,037 and warnings up 8 percent to 81,300 between October 2023 and April 2025. Scotland recorded 26,884 interventions, a 2.8 percent increase, alongside 488 formal actions.
Food Standards and Feed Controls Hold Steady
Intervention achievements in food standards hovered around 90 percent for A-rated sites in both England and Wales. England saw gains in B and C categories, up 6 percent and 4 percent respectively. Wales noted a 10 percent rise in B-rated compliance. Formal enforcement dipped slightly in England by 8 percent to 309 cases, while warnings increased 13 percent.
Feed inspections totaled 5,691 in England and Wales, a 3.14 percent rise from the prior period, with Scotland completing 100 percent of planned visits. Sampling efforts doubled to 503 in England and Wales, reflecting normalized operations and better traceability. Compliance remained robust at 99 percent for farms and 98 percent for non-farm businesses.[1]
Boost in Animal Welfare Oversight
On-farm welfare inspections surged 32 percent to 2,751 visits across Great Britain, averaging 1.99 enterprises per visit. England led with 1,895 visits, followed by 539 in Wales and 317 in Scotland. Referrals for transport welfare reached 3,164, with high-priority cases attended within 24 hours 86 percent of the time. Compliance stood at 96 percent against criteria, though 20 percent of enterprises showed C-score non-compliances without suffering.
- Poultry catching referrals rose 18.7 percent to 921.
- Dead on arrival cases fell 30.6 percent to 713.
- Exotic disease investigations doubled to 651.
- TSE surveillance detected low cases: one classical BSE and seven atypical scrapie.
Bovine TB incidents stabilized, with Wales reporting a 47.8 percent drop in breakdowns since 2009. Salmonella prevalence in poultry stayed below 1 percent.
Plant Health and Border Vigilance
Plant health import inspections covered 372,187 consignments, up 16 percent, though EU-selected checks hit 54 percent amid staffing challenges. Non-compliances dropped to 1,687 from 2,401. Surveillance expanded to new areas like maize and sunflower growers.
| Sector | Key Metric | GB Total |
|---|---|---|
| Border Controls | Animal Product Consignments | 830,709 |
| Rejections | 1,099 (0.132%) | |
| Live Animals | Consignments | 8,309 |
| Rejections | 8 (0.09%) |
Overall rejection rates fell to 0.186 percent despite higher volumes post-EU exit.[1]
Key Takeaways
- Hygiene compliance returned to pre-COVID norms for high-risk sites.
- Enforcement and inspections increased across sectors.
- Border rejections remained low amid rising import volumes.
The report underscored strengthened risk-based systems and contingency planning, signaling sustained progress in safeguarding public health. Full details appear in the official document. What aspects of food safety controls interest you most? Share in the comments.
