An undercover
investigation has revealed a shocking trade in illegal ‘bush meat’ at a
London market – including the sale of dead rats for human consumption. Charred
sheep skins, another favourite in west Africa known as ‘smokies’, are also
being sold by butchers at the Ridley Road market in Dalson, east London.
A BBC investigation
using hidden cameras uncovered at least six butchers selling the illegal meats,
breaking UK food safety laws.
“This is shocking, I am just so shocked to
see so much of it,” said Paul Povey, one of the UK’s leading experts in meat
hygiene and inspections and a member of the Chartered Institute of
Environmental Health, who examined the meat for the BBC NEWS.
“It’s all illegal and hasn’t undergone health
control, hasn’t been inspected and may well be contaminated.
“You’ve got to wonder about the contamination
level of this meat that anyone’s bringing into their kitchens.”
“It is disgusting and outrageous that the
local authorities don’t take action and remove this meat from the human food
chain.”He said
Councillor Feryal Demirci, Hackney Council’s
Cabinet Member for Safer Neighbourhoods, said: “Hackney Council’s team of
Environmental Health Officers make regular visits and inspections of over 1,000
businesses across the borough, including those on Ridley Road.
“Since 2009, we have only received a single
complaint regarding the sale of illegal meat, which upon investigation was
inconclusive.