M&S, Aldi and Lidl suspend chicken orders from West Bromwich food giant 2 Sisters amid hygiene scandal
Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Lidl have all suspended chicken orders from Black Country food supplier 2 Sisters over a hygiene scandal which was engulfing the company today.
The high street giants are the first major customers to reveal they has suspended purchasing of chicken after serious allegations were made about hygiene and safety at the plant in Dial Lane, West Bromwich.
The Food Standards Agency has announced it has launched an investigation into the claims, which include older birds being dumped in with fresh stock but given the same sell-by dates.
It is also alleged that chickens had been thrown back on the production line after falling on the floor and that records of where the birds were slaughtered were also altered, making them difficult to trace.
Tesco and Sainsbury's have also announced they are investigating the claims.
The 2 Sisters Food Group, which is headed by Ranjit Boparan, one of the Black Country's richest men, and churns out six million chickens a week as part of an operation that produces a third of all the poultry products consumed in the country, supplies to supermarkets and other top retailers.
The allegations came to light following undercover filming by a newspaper.
An M&S spokesman said: “We have commenced an immediate investigation into these allegations and will not be taking any more product from the West Bromwich site until it has concluded to our satisfaction.
“The standards shown in the footage are unacceptable, we take hygiene and traceability very seriously and have extremely high production standards.”
An Aldi spokesman said: "We have suspended supply from this site while we carry out an urgent investigation into these allegations. We expect all suppliers to adhere to the highest possible food hygiene and traceability standards at all times.”
The Food Standards Agency said: "The FSA takes any allegations of inaccurate labelling and breaches in hygiene regulations very seriously.
"Our experts are reviewing the footage to determine whether the incidents shown break the rules, and if so we will take prompt and proportionate action with the business concerned.
“This particular cutting plant is regularly audited by the FSA and they are also subject to unannounced inspections.”
A Lidl spokesman said: "Lidl UK takes the issue of food safety extremely seriously and we were very disappointed to see the unacceptable standards shown in yesterday's report. We immediately launched an investigation with the supplier and can confirm that we will not be sourcing from those sites until the investigations have been satisfactorily concluded."
Tesco said it is treating the claims seriously but has not yet followed M&S in suspending operations.
A spokesman for the supermarket giant said: “We operate to the highest possible food quality and safety standards, carrying out our own regular audits at all of our suppliers to ensure these standards are maintained. As such, we take these allegations extremely seriously and will be carrying out our own rigorous investigation."
Bosses at 2 Sisters said they viewed the allegations 'extremely seriously’ and have vowed to leave 'no stone unturned' in its investigation.
