'Abattoir plagued by problems' - E.coli inquiry

Mar 17 2008 Madeleine Brindley, Media Wales

THE abattoir which supplied meat to E.Coli butcher William Tudor was plagued by structural problems, and its cleaning could be left for up to a week.

The start of the final week of the E.Coli public inquiry today heard that JE Tudor & Son closed only when it became too expensive to bring the building in line with new rules governing slaughterhouses.

Despite long-standing problems with the building, the Meat Hygiene Service inspectors allowed the slaughterhouse to continue operating under a system which granted abattoirs licences even if they didn’t comply with a letter of the law, provided they produced “clean meat”.

JE Tudor & Son, which was run by Jonathon Tudor - E.Coli butcher William Tudor’s cousin - and based at Howard Street, Treorchy, was closed down in February 2006 when new European union issued hygiene regulations came into force, and some six months after the E.Coli O157 outbreak in the South Wales Valleys.

Evidence submitted to the inquiry revealed that in 2004 a meat hygiene service auditors' report had noted that there was “much local objection to the ‘abattoir’ presence” because it was so close to local homes and that “the fabric of the building is deteriorating rapidly, and, realistically, the premises is coming to an end of its working life.”

It also found that cleaning could be left for up to a week if slaughtering continued late into the day. JE Tudor & Sons slaughtered about 12 animals a week at that time, operating on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A meat hygiene appraisal in April 2005, before the new rules were introduced, again found that the abattoir, which supplied Bridgend-based John Tudor & Son and other businesses had problems.

In his statement David Thomas, a veterinary meat hygiene adviser said: “It was my opinion that the establishment could not be approved in its current condition unless a substantial amount of work was undertaken and some of its operational practices improved.”

The problems identified included the condition of the floors, walls, doors and ceilings at the abattoir, which was built in 1860.

He stressed that the abattoir did not pose any risk to public health.

In a letter to Jonathon Tudor Mr Thomas said: “I was particularly concerned about the general condition of the fabric of the whole building, especially the ceiling flashing inside of the roof and the chillers.

In addition the movement of personnel across the hanging hall to gain access to the amenity area could give rise to cross contamination of carcasses held in this area.”

But it was not until almost a year later that Jonathon Tudor decided to voluntarily cease trading when it became apparent “that the amount of investment required to bring the establishment into a condition whereby it could be considered for approval could not be justified economically", Mr Tomas said.

Before the change in the regulations, JE Tudor & Son had been granted a licence, provided that it meet certain requirements, including that the structure and layout of the premises complied with the rules; that the meat was inspected post-mortem and that method of operation was classed as satisfactory.

All carcasses produced by a slaughterhouse had to be visually inspected and then marked by an official veterinary surgeon. Only meat which was visibly contaminated would be refused.