WHEN I picked up my morning newspaper, I was surprised to read the headline, “I’m sorry - but this has not been of our making”.
This claim, by turkey tycoon, Bernard Matthews, must surely rank as one of the most inappropriate headlines of the year.
A full two weeks after bird flu virus was discovered at his Suffolk processing plant, he is still trying to discover how it became contaminated.
It is blatantly obvious to most other people that it was imported from infected stock in Hungary.
Bernard Matthews’ company admits to importing processed turkey from Hungary. However it now transpires that this is frozen meat, whereas the virus is actually killed by heat treatment.
Mr Matthews claims his “turkey is bootiful. I wouldn’t have it any other way”, but I have my doubts.
It makes you wonder just what is in the turkey that is sold to unsuspecting consumers in this country today.
Not only is it not British, a turkey twizzler only contains about 34% turkey meat anyway. The other 66% might come from somewhere in England. Who knows?
Whilst Bernard Matthews is told by the Food Standards Agency he can resume production at his plant, other poultry producers are still embargoed by DEFRA rules and cannot sell their stock.
Nice to have influence in high places.
It seems multi-national companies can change the rules when they feel like it, but small farmers have to suffer the full impact of bureaucratic biosecurity.
