Congratulations are also due to Eric Smith and his team at Salford University where David did his course. Carla Page who won the Ian Macmillan Prize for the highest marks in last years' RSPH Certificate in Meat Inspection examinations is also a successful graduate of the Salford course.

David Mackrell
Winner: Ian Macmillan Prize (Certificate in Poultry Meat Inspection)

RSPH Centre: Salford University, School of Leisure, Hospitality and Food Management
Employer: The Meat Hygiene Service

David Mackrell
From a Derbyshire farming family David worked as a meat technician for two years before starting training last April to take the RSPH Certificate in Poultry Meat Inspection at Salford. He took his final examination and qualified just before Christmas. He comments on ' …a demanding course with each three-weeks in the classroom being reinforced by 2-weeks practical training and experience on-site.' And with the weeks in the classroom each comprising thirty-six-and-a-half contact hours this is indeed an intensive learning experience.

Working for the Meat Hygiene Service and covering an area with a radius of around 50 miles David is currently based at F. Redfern and Sons at Buxton in Derbyshire. As part of a team with Official Veterinary Surgeons and Meat Hygiene Technicians David visits licensed slaughterhouses for red meat and poultry, cutting plants and cold stores throughout the area, inspecting animals and carcasses for signs of disease, and ensuring hygiene controls are maintained. His work also involves him in the Over Thirty Month Slaughter (OTMS) scheme checking the eligibility of cattle presented for slaughter and supervising the staining and disposal of OTMS material which must not be allowed to enter the human food chain.

Salford University
The School of Leisure, Hospitality and Food Management at Salford is one of the centres running courses for the government's Meat Hygiene Service. All MHS inspectors are required to pass the RSPH Certificate in Meat Inspection as part of their training. Salford trains around 80 Meat Inspectors a year many of whom have previously qualified on their Meat Technicians course.

The Meat Hygiene Service
The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) is an Executive Agency of the Food Standards Agency established on 1 April 1995 when it took over meat inspection duties from some 300 local authorities. Operating in England, Scotland and Wales, the MHS provides the consumer and meat industry with a single independent enforcement agency - applying consistent standards, and providing consistent inspection and enforcement services. Accountable to the Food Standards Agency and to Parliament via Health Ministers it provides a service essential in protecting public health and promoting consumer confidence.