UK finds itself mired in another food fraud scandal

10 years on from the horsemeat scandal that rocked Europe, the UK is facing another food fraud scandal, as reports emerge that foreign pork falsely labelled as British has been sold by supermarkets.

The allegations – which have sparked a National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) investigation – arose from an investigation by the Farmer’s Weekly magazine and suggest that a meat processor company that provides meat to leading supermarkets, schools and hospitals passed off thousands of tonnes of foreign meat as being British, and introduced spoiled meat into processed food products.

There are also claims that meat was kept in unsafe conditions, and records were falsified. The allegations have been made by former employees of the company, who suggest the activities may extend back nearly two decades.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) – which operates the NFCU -  has confirmed that a criminal investigation is under way.

Chief executive Emily Miles said in a statement that it is “a live investigation which means we are looking into all new lines of inquiry with the relevant local authorities, including investigating potential food hygiene breaches.”

“This is alongside the work we are doing to investigate food fraud,” she added. “Criminal investigations take time and need to be done with due process and fairness. The FSA will work tirelessly on behalf of consumers to ensure that this criminal investigation is done to the highest possible standards.”

 The FSA said that based on the investigation to date, there is no indication that food is unsafe or there is an increased risk to consumers. The identity of the supplier has not been divulged on order that the criminal investigation is not impeded.

 “I do want to emphasise at a time when cost pressures and other challenges mean the risks of food fraud might be increasing, it is vital everyone involved in the food chain works to ensure that food is safe and what it says it is,” said Miles.

Therésè Coffey, the UK secretary of state for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), told the House of Commons last week that she was considering whether the FSA should be brought under her department’s control.