Welsh Country Foods Ltd recalls certain batches of lamb meat and offal due to possible presence of veterinary medicine residues
Tuesday 23 October 2007
Food Alert: for Information
Ref: 35/2007
Welsh Country Foods Ltd has recalled certain batches of lamb meat and offal due to possible presence of veterinary medicine residues.
The batches of lamb and offal being recalled may contain meat from sheep sold for breeding purposes and not intended to enter the food chain immediately. Some of the sheep had been treated with a veterinary drugs (including doramectin) to combat sheep scab that was not given enough time to pass through the animals’ systems. Therefore, this makes the products unsafe for human consumption under Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002.
Concerns around doramectin relate to exposure that has caused sickness and other effects in laboratory animals.
Welsh Country Foods Ltd has contacted all its customers and instructed them to remove the affected products from sale. The affected batches have been distributed to a number of premises, including Asda Stores Ltd and Makro Self Service Wholesalers Ltd.
Asda Stores Limited and Makro Self Service Wholesalers Ltd have withdrawn products from sale and displayed point of sale notices in stores. The notices advise consumers of the reason for the recall and the actions they should take if they have already purchased the affected products. Copies of these notices are attached to this food alert.
Actions to be taken by local authorities
Local Authorities with named premises in their districts, based on information supplied to them by the Agency, are requested to contact the companies and establish if any of the products listed are still at the premises. If any of the meat is reported to be on the premises, the company should return the affected meat to the supplier. Inspectors should detain the meat, if necessary using the Food Safety Act 1990 powers of detention, pending further information being provided by the Agency. If the company has distributed the listed consignment/s, full details of where the meat has been distributed to should be obtained and the Agency informed.
No premises in Scotland have been identified to the Agency and no action is required by Scottish Authorities at the present time.
