Meat Hygiene Inspector
What is the work like?
Meat hygiene inspectors make sure that meat is safe, and that its production and processing meets hygiene laws.
As a meat inspector, your work could involve:
- inspecting the hygiene in slaughterhouses, cutting plants, factories and cold stores
- checking animal welfare conditions
- inspecting live animals, game or poultry for any signs of disease
- carrying out post mortems on diseased animals
- checking meat transportation conditions
- making sure that unfit meat is destroyed properly
- recording the findings from your inspections
- recommending any improvements that need to be made
- making sure that improvements are carried out.
You could work in the food trade, for the government's Meat Hygiene Service or with veterinary officials.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
To work as a qualified meat inspector, you need the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health (RSPH) Level 3 Certificate in Meat Hygiene and Inspection (or the Certificate in Poultry Meat Inspection, if this is relevant to your job).
To get onto the RSPH course, you will usually need one of the following:
- five GCSEs (A-C), including English and either science or maths
- Associate membership of the Meat Training Council (contact the Meat Training Council for information), or
- proven experience of working in the meat industry, for example in a slaughterhouse or meat processing plant.
You need access to practical work placements in order to complete the course. You can contact the RSPH for more information.
What further training and development can I do?
Once you are working in meat inspection, you will receive on-the-job training from experienced inspectors. If you do not already have the RSPH Level 3 Certificate in Meat Hygiene and Inspection, you will also need to achieve this. The college-based part of the course includes:
- anatomy and physiology
- pathology and meat inspection
- animal welfare
- hygiene
- food hygiene law.
You will also have practical training in slaughterhouses or other types of meat plant.
If your job involves working with wild game, you will need the RSPH Level 2 Certificate in Wild Game Meat Hygiene, to meet the latest food hygiene laws.
Contact the RSPH for details of colleges and training centres offering courses.
Where can I go for more information?
PO Box 141Winterhill House
Snowdon Drive
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK6 1YY
Tel: 01908 231062
Peasholme Green
York
YO1 7PR
Tel: 01904 455501
London
SW1V 4BH
Tel: 020 7630 0121
2 Innovation Close
York
YO10 5ZF
Tel: 0845 644 0448
http://www.improve-skills.co.uk/
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Trainee meat inspectors with the Meat Hygiene Service start on around £16,000 a year.
- Experienced meat inspectors can earn between £20,000 and £25,000.
- Senior meat inspectors can earn around £30,000.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You would work between 37 and 40 hours a week, which may occasionally include evenings or weekends.
You would spend much of your time travelling between different inspection sites. Conditions can be very cold in slaughterhouses and storage areas, and very warm in factory processing areas. You would wear protective clothing when carrying out inspections.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- in-depth knowledge of the meat industry
- excellent observation and attention to detail
- awareness of safety and hygiene
- good communication skills
- the ability to deal with difficult people or situations
- physical fitness and stamina
- the ability to build good working relationships with all kinds of people
- the ability to keep accurate records and write reports.
What opportunities are there?
You would find job opportunities with the government’s Meat Hygiene Service (part of the Food Standards Agency), food manufacturers or supermarket chains.
With experience, you could progress to manager (within a food retail or manufacturing company) or supervisor or manager in the Meat Hygiene Service.
Jobs may be advertised in the local and national press, on specialist recruitment websites and in jobcentres. You may also find the following useful for vacancies and general reading: (links open in new window)
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