Update on lamb recall

Tuesday 23 October 2007

Welsh Country Foods Ltd has recalled certain batches of lamb meat and offal due to the possible presence of veterinary medicine residues. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Action.

The batches of lamb and offal being recalled may contain meat from sheep sold for breeding purposes and were not intended to enter the food chain immediately. Some of the sheep had been treated with veterinary drugs (including doramectin) to combat sheep scab that was not given enough time to pass through the animals' systems.

Concerns around doramectin relate to repeated exposure that has caused sickness and other effects in laboratory animals.

Welsh Country Foods has contacted all its customers and instructed them to remove the affected products from sale.

The affected batches have been distributed to Asda, and were recalled last Friday when the Agency first issued information about this incident, and Makro Self Service Wholesalers Ltd, which have withdrawn products from sale and displayed point-of-sale notices in its stores. The list of products that Asda is recalling is attached below in the previous news story. The point-of-sale notices advise people of the reason for the recall and what they should do if they have already bought the affected products. They are also attached below.

The affected batches have also been distributed to a number of other premises. Full product details are not available due to limited traceability. Investigations are continuing. However, no premises in Scotland have been identified to the Agency and no action is required by Scottish authorities at the present time.