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| Food Standards Agency investigates poultry factories | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Food Standards Agency is investigating standards in some chicken-processing factories, after a Guardian investigation uncovered a catalogue of hygiene failings in the industry. | |
| The agency confirmed it was investigating the allegations made by whistleblowers to the Guardian about hygiene standards in specific factories relating to the spread of campylobacter bacteria - the most common form of food poisoning in the UK. | |
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| Labour accused the government of presiding over another food scandal. Huw Irranca-Davies, the shadow food and farming minister, said: "These are serious accusations of malpractice in the poultry slaughter and processing sector … If it is found that consumers have been put at risk, we would expect swift and strong action to be taken to restore public confidence, including action against individuals and companies if appropriate." | Labour accused the government of presiding over another food scandal. Huw Irranca-Davies, the shadow food and farming minister, said: "These are serious accusations of malpractice in the poultry slaughter and processing sector … If it is found that consumers have been put at risk, we would expect swift and strong action to be taken to restore public confidence, including action against individuals and companies if appropriate." |
| The Guardian's investigation uncovered a catalogue of alleged hygiene failings in the poultry industry, prompting three leading supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer – to launch their own investigations on Wednesday. Undercover footage, photographic evidence and information from whistleblowers has revealed how strict industry hygiene standards to prevent the contamination of chicken with potentially deadly campylobacter bacteria can be flouted on the factory floor and on farms. | The Guardian's investigation uncovered a catalogue of alleged hygiene failings in the poultry industry, prompting three leading supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer – to launch their own investigations on Wednesday. Undercover footage, photographic evidence and information from whistleblowers has revealed how strict industry hygiene standards to prevent the contamination of chicken with potentially deadly campylobacter bacteria can be flouted on the factory floor and on farms. |
| At the last count, campylobacter was present in two-thirds of British fresh chicken sold in the UK. Although the bug is killed by thorough cooking, around 280,000 people a year in the UK are made ill by it, and it is thought that 100 people die. Contamination rates are known to have increased in the past decade. | At the last count, campylobacter was present in two-thirds of British fresh chicken sold in the UK. Although the bug is killed by thorough cooking, around 280,000 people a year in the UK are made ill by it, and it is thought that 100 people die. Contamination rates are known to have increased in the past decade. |
| On Wednesday the FSA decided to shelve a promise to name and shame supermarkets and processors for their campylobacter rates. The climbdown comes after pushback from industry and interventions from government departments. | On Wednesday the FSA decided to shelve a promise to name and shame supermarkets and processors for their campylobacter rates. The climbdown comes after pushback from industry and interventions from government departments. |
| One source said they had been told that No 10 had raised concerns about the communication of the results, fearing that they could provoke a food scare similar to that triggered in 1988 when the former Conservative minister Edwina Currie warned that most British eggs were contaminated with salmonella. | One source said they had been told that No 10 had raised concerns about the communication of the results, fearing that they could provoke a food scare similar to that triggered in 1988 when the former Conservative minister Edwina Currie warned that most British eggs were contaminated with salmonella. |
| Irranca-Davies criticised the FSA's decision. "We are demanding an explanation from the chief executive of the decision to retreat from quarterly reporting by retailers on campylobacter," he said. | Irranca-Davies criticised the FSA's decision. "We are demanding an explanation from the chief executive of the decision to retreat from quarterly reporting by retailers on campylobacter," he said. |
| The Guardian's five-month investigation uncovered a series of alleged hygiene failings in the chicken industry. The allegations have been made against two of the largest UK poultry processors, 2 Sisters Food Group and Faccenda. They relate to two factories owned by 2 Sisters that supply fresh chicken and chicken for ready meals to Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Aldi, M&S, KFC and to farms, and an abattoir owned by Faccenda, which supplies Asda and Nando's. | The Guardian's five-month investigation uncovered a series of alleged hygiene failings in the chicken industry. The allegations have been made against two of the largest UK poultry processors, 2 Sisters Food Group and Faccenda. They relate to two factories owned by 2 Sisters that supply fresh chicken and chicken for ready meals to Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Aldi, M&S, KFC and to farms, and an abattoir owned by Faccenda, which supplies Asda and Nando's. |
| The allegations are that: | The allegations are that: |
| • Chickens that fall on to the floor have repeatedly been put back on to the production line at two 2 Sisters sites. The company denies this ever happens and says all chicken from the floor is correctly disposed of as waste. | • Chickens that fall on to the floor have repeatedly been put back on to the production line at two 2 Sisters sites. The company denies this ever happens and says all chicken from the floor is correctly disposed of as waste. |
| • Breakdowns led to high-risk material – feathers, guts and offal – piling up for hours on separate occasions while production continued at a 2 Sisters factory in Wales. The company says it did not stop the line because it had to consider the welfare of chickens waiting in crates to be killed. | • Breakdowns led to high-risk material – feathers, guts and offal – piling up for hours on separate occasions while production continued at a 2 Sisters factory in Wales. The company says it did not stop the line because it had to consider the welfare of chickens waiting in crates to be killed. |
| • Another breakdown led to the water in scald tanks at the same site not being cleaned for three days, so that around 250,000 birds passed through dirty water after slaughter. The company says this was an isolated incident that lasted only one day, and bacteria counts were checked and were acceptable. | • Another breakdown led to the water in scald tanks at the same site not being cleaned for three days, so that around 250,000 birds passed through dirty water after slaughter. The company says this was an isolated incident that lasted only one day, and bacteria counts were checked and were acceptable. |
| • According to a whistleblower chicken catcher, biosecurity rules to stop the spread of campylobacter in chicken sheds at Faccenda were regularly ignored by workers when he was employed there. Faccenda says this is not true and it has invested heavily in a highly trained and motivated workforce. | • According to a whistleblower chicken catcher, biosecurity rules to stop the spread of campylobacter in chicken sheds at Faccenda were regularly ignored by workers when he was employed there. Faccenda says this is not true and it has invested heavily in a highly trained and motivated workforce. |
| Campylobacter contamination has plagued the poultry industry for more than a decade and has got worse in that time. The FSA ordered new tests for campylobacter amid worries that there had been no improvements in rates. Results were due in June, and as recently as March the FSA's chief executive, Catherine Brown, publicly vowed to press ahead with "steely determination" despite pushback from industry. | Campylobacter contamination has plagued the poultry industry for more than a decade and has got worse in that time. The FSA ordered new tests for campylobacter amid worries that there had been no improvements in rates. Results were due in June, and as recently as March the FSA's chief executive, Catherine Brown, publicly vowed to press ahead with "steely determination" despite pushback from industry. |
| On Wednesday, Brown asked the FSA board to reverse the previous decision to publish campylobacter results for named supermarkets and processors each quarter. The board heard that there were now concerns, not raised previously, that the sample size for one quarter's data was insufficiently large to be statistically robust. | On Wednesday, Brown asked the FSA board to reverse the previous decision to publish campylobacter results for named supermarkets and processors each quarter. The board heard that there were now concerns, not raised previously, that the sample size for one quarter's data was insufficiently large to be statistically robust. |
| The executive director of Which?, Richard Lloyd, said: "The Guardian's investigation raises serious concerns. Tackling campylobacter has to become a much bigger priority for supermarkets and their suppliers as it is responsible for thousands of cases of food poisoning and the deaths of 100 people every year. It's therefore disappointing that the FSA has gone back on its commitment to publish in full the quarterly data on the levels of campylobacter in supermarket chickens, when it is clearly in the public interest to do so. The FSA must put consumers first and operate more transparently than this." | The executive director of Which?, Richard Lloyd, said: "The Guardian's investigation raises serious concerns. Tackling campylobacter has to become a much bigger priority for supermarkets and their suppliers as it is responsible for thousands of cases of food poisoning and the deaths of 100 people every year. It's therefore disappointing that the FSA has gone back on its commitment to publish in full the quarterly data on the levels of campylobacter in supermarket chickens, when it is clearly in the public interest to do so. The FSA must put consumers first and operate more transparently than this." |
| The FSA is responsible for official inspection in all meat factories, and its vets and meat hygiene inspectors are meant to prevent breaches of food safety standards occurring. The Llangefni site is one of those at which the inspection service has been privatised, with official vets provided by a private contractor and poultry inspection assistants employed directly by the chicken company rather than the FSA itself. | The FSA is responsible for official inspection in all meat factories, and its vets and meat hygiene inspectors are meant to prevent breaches of food safety standards occurring. The Llangefni site is one of those at which the inspection service has been privatised, with official vets provided by a private contractor and poultry inspection assistants employed directly by the chicken company rather than the FSA itself. |
| The FSA is pushing for all poultry slaughterhouses to move to the same industry-run inspection system that is in place in the Llangefni 2 Sisters plant. | The FSA is pushing for all poultry slaughterhouses to move to the same industry-run inspection system that is in place in the Llangefni 2 Sisters plant. |
| The meat inspectors union Unison said: "Sadly, it is our opinion that the FSA will support moves to remove all postmortem inspection of poultry, without telling the public. This is like giving your local fox the key to the hen house." | The meat inspectors union Unison said: "Sadly, it is our opinion that the FSA will support moves to remove all postmortem inspection of poultry, without telling the public. This is like giving your local fox the key to the hen house." |
| • Read the companies' full responses here. | • Read the companies' full responses here. |