The move, which follows heavy criticism of the current meat inspection regime, is aimed at controlling meat hygiene inspections on risk-based analysis, with tighter financial targets and a more efficient allocation of resources.

But the agency has indicated it intends to recover the cost of hygiene controls by imposing a larger financial burden on the meat industry.

The proposals were approved by the FSA board last week and described as a ‘watershed’ for the industry by FSA chairman Dame Deirdre Hutton.

The cost issue looks set to be divisive but the overall reform of controls has been largely welcomed by industry experts who have long called for change.

In April last year four industry associations called on the FSA to review meat hygiene controls. A month later an EU Food and Veterinary Office mission reported that health measures were inadequate in many UK slaughterhouses and also called for change.