Fairfax Meadow withdraws meat products following FSA investigation
London-based butcher Fairfax Meadow is the latest meat supplier to pull products from pubs, restaurants and hotels due to an ongoing investigation from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
It was announced last night (11 February) that Fairfax had "begun the voluntary withdrawal of some of its meat products from its customers in the catering trade" following unannounced inspections by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland on 8 February.
The inspections "revealed concerns about the procedures and processes" Fairfax had been using to apply use by dates on some of its products.
Penny Tomlinson, managing director at Fairfax said: "You our customers and the public you serve should expect nothing less from a leading meat supplier. You can depend on us for a safe, prompt and reliable service of the very highest quality."
The business is to operate as normal and no other products or deliveries are said to be affected.
A statement from the FSA said: "Fairfax Meadow responded immediately to our concerns and are now changing their procedures. We are satisfied with the changes that are being made and at present we are not anticipating the need for enforcement action.
"Public health remains our top priority and at no stage has there been any indication that people have become ill from eating meat supplied by Fairfax Meadow. We, along with local authorities, are continuing to assess the situation and we are working with the business to oversee their product withdrawal."
Also this week, Nottingham-based Muscle Food recalled 64 meat products when the FSA inspected its supplier, DB Foods and found reason for concern about use-by dates that "were not compliant with legal requirements."
Muscle Food supplies meat products directly to the public, and the affected products were sold between 25 January and 3 February 2018.
The nationwide inspection launched at the beginning of the month in the wake of hygiene probes into 2 Sisters Food Group and Russell Hume.
In September 2017 2 Sisters Food Group's chicken processing site in West Bromwich was temporarily shut down after undercover reporters alleged poor standards and alterations to the source and slaughter dates of poultry.
In January this year, the FSA stopped meat from leaving Russell Hume sites due to "serious non-compliance with food hygiene regulations."
The factories were closed because of the investigation, however one site in Liverpool has since been allowed to resume processing and distributing meat products after proving it was able to demonstrate that its food safety management system met the legal requirements.
Russell Hume allowed to resume processing meat at one site >>
Food Standards Agency investigates meat from supplier Russell Hume>>
Food Standards Agency defends its handling of Russell Hume investigation>>
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