Thousands of tons of imported pork sold as British in latest food fraud scandal

Stock photo for illustration purposes only.

The organized crime conducted at the medium-sized processor, which cannot be named for legal reasons, was reportedly happening until at least the end of 2020. Former employees have also accused the plant of regularly ‘washing’ hams that are visibly off, or mixing rotting pork with fresh product for further processing.

The meat produced by the company then went on to be sold on the shelves of major retailers like Tesco, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer in products such as ready meals, quiches, sandwiches and other food items.

Other customers include food manufacturer and distributor Oscar Mayer, which supplies Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Ikea, Subway and airline food producer Dnata, and major brands Princes and BidFood, a media outlet said.

Evidence has also been reported that Danish pork was delivered to the factory, which is otherwise only allowed to be sold on mainland China. A former employee told investigators that EU bacon medallions were being bought at £1/kg and sold on as British for about £12/kg.

According to the National Pig Association (NPA), the company under investigation is understood not be a primary processor with direct links to UK pork producers.

The FSA and the NFCU are reported to have been aware of the activities taking place at the processor since 2020. Upon suspicion of food fraud in September 2021, the initial retailer was notified at the same time that the NFCU first acted against the food business involved in the scandal.

Later, in December 2021, the FSA issued a warning for the industry to be aware of premium status products, including country of origin claims, to enable them to apply extra due diligence in their checks.

Darren Davies, head of the NFCU, said: “The FSA advised retailers last year [2021] to check their cooked meat supply chain and to apply extra due diligence in their checks. We don’t give out these alerts without a reason.”

“Nobody should be complacent”

Working with partner organisations, the FSA, being a national regulator and the last line of defence against food fraud, made an unannounced visit on 22^nd March 2023 to the premises linked to the live criminal investigation into alleged food fraud. Three people were arrested as a result and have now been released under investigation.

Emily Miles, chief executive of the FSA, commented: “We are continuing our criminal investigation into how a meat supplier allegedly provided products labelled as British when they were in fact sourced from other countries.

“This 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.”

Ms Miles added the investigation to date gave no indication that food is unsafe or there is an increased risk to consumers.

“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.

“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,” she stressed.

The organisation declined to give any further details over concerns this could impact the criminal investigation or any future proceedings.

Responding to the news, Nick Allen, CEO of the BMPA, urged all supply chain players to maintain vigilance and take prompt action when food fraud is suspected to uphold the reputation of British meat.

“The industry has come a long way since Horsegate 10 years ago, but this latest issue highlights the fact that nobody should be complacent,” he said.

“Criminal activity will always find new ways to beat the system. This issue also highlights the need for the NFCU and industry to work more closely together and share intelligence with a greater emphasis on prevention rather than prosecution.

“There also needs to be greater use of technology and data to provide checks and balances. It is in no one’s interest that we have stories like this hitting the headlines and it undermines all the good and responsible work that has gone on and continues to go on in the industry,” Mr Allen concluded.

NPA calls for robust action on behalf of producers

NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said the revelations brought to light by Farmers Weekly were shocking and called for the authorities to do everything in their power to make sure businesses breaking the law in this way are held accountable.

“NPA is disgusted that such criminal behaviour still allegedly persists within the meat processing supply chain, despite it being previously brought to the attention of the competent authorities,” she said.

“This report suggests that this business has been able to profiteer from illegally labelled pork whilst British pig producers have been haemorrhaging money for over two years. We hope a full and thorough investigation is conducted to ensure such practice is identified and those responsible held to account.”

Ms Wilson pointed out that British pork has some of the highest welfare standards in the world and producers work relentlessly to meet the requirements of Red Tractor, RSPCA Farm Assured and other assurance schemes.

“To see this wilfully undermined by manufacturers passing cheap imported pork off as British is a massive kick in the teeth for a sector that has been through so much in the past years. There will be some very angry pork producers out there,” she noted.

The chief executive also remarked how people are rightfully concerned about the transparency of the supply chain and how widespread this practice is among food processors.

“We will all need further reassurances that our supply chain is acting honourably and that the checks and systems in place in the UK are sufficient to detect fraud, particularly since our departure from the EU,” Ms Wilson stressed.