The mock inspections are aimed at putting the UK’s beef and lamb sector in the strongest possible position should a trade agreement be reached between the UK and the US.

Inspections were carried out at 10 plants across the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) to establish and compare official meat hygiene controls and processing standards to ensure they fully comply with the USDA import needs.

Dr Phil Hadley, EBLEX head of supply chain development, said: “While we do not currently have access to the US market for ruminant meat, we felt it was prudent to ensure our industry is as fully prepared as possible. We anticipate an official inspection visit in early 2015 and this will hopefully enable access should an agreement be reached.

“EBLEX, working in partnership with other key stakeholder organisations, has taken the lead in terms of understanding the market. With an official inspection visit anticipated soon, it’s important to ensure we put ourselves in the best possible position and are fully aware of the level of detail the USDA needs in place to help us gain access to the US market.”