Prosecution of chicken wholesalers and manufacturers expected

PROSECUTIONS of chicken wholesalers and manufacturers are expected following evidence of misleading labelling.

The Food Standards Agency made the discovery in conjunction with 20 local authorities across the UK.

Of 25 samples from wholesalers dealing primarily with the catering trade, 15 claimed a higher meat content than actual.

Almost three quarters used the term breast or fillet, which should only be used for chicken with no added ingredients.

And 11 contained traces of DNA from pigs, 10 of which were labelled Halal.

The samples came from one manufacturing site in this country, two in Belgium and seven in the Netherlands.

Deficient meat content is an offence under the Food labelling Regulations that attracts a £5,000 penalty.

The type of chicken investigated is said to represent only about 10% of the catering market.

Consumers have been advised by the FSA that this is an issue of misleading labelling, not food safety, and where water and other ingredients are added they should be clearly marked on the label.