SCOTS abattoir bosses have slammed an increase in inspection charges by Food Standards Scotland as a "thoroughly unjustified move" which will damage the whole industry, and could place some smaller plants under the threat of closure.

“Despite engaging in emergency talks with FSS officials on this issue, during which we were promised a future charging review, our members are still to have increases of up to 11% in inspection charges imposed on them with immediate effect,” said Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers president, Frank Clark. “This is unacceptable and belies any thought that the promised review is being approached in the correct manner.”

SAMW member companies were told of the increase in early May, with FSS stating that its costs that costs would rise by just 0.5% from the amount charged the previous year, according to the charging model agreed jointly by industry and Scottish Government as part of the programme to create FSS.

“In reality, however, the new costs are to be applied to significantly less work than was required in 2016/17,” said Mr Clark. “According to our calculations, FSS is imposing a 0.5% cost rise for 7% less work, a budget move which we believe is adding more than £400,000 of unjustified cost to members’ businesses.

“In effect, this is an accounting ploy which hides the fact that FSS is imposing an excessive increase on the Scottish red meat chain, largely because it has failed to adjust its own staffing requirements to current demands," he alleged. "This places some plants at risk of closure, due to the fact that the new costs would outstrip profit margins. The fact that a review might subsequently reverse the cost rise, at least to a degree, will be of no comfort to businesses which have already disappeared."

In response, FSS pointed out, despite the expectation that it would achieve " full cost recovery" from the industry, it had maintained a subsidy of 30% – worth £1.3 million – in each of the last three years, which all slaughterhouses had benefitted from.