Potentially poisonous poultry seized (From Dudley News)

Potentially poisonous poultry seized

4:00pm Friday 8th February 2013 in Local

DUDLEY’S Environmental health officers seized more than 40 tonnes of potentially poisonous chicken.

The frozen cooked chicken, produced in China and imported into the UK, was being stored at a registered coldstore in Pedmore Road, Brierley Hill.

Dudley’s health officers were alerted to the contaminated chicken by Northern Ireland based inspectors, who tested 21 tonnes of the meat and discovered three quarters were contaminated with salmonella.

The whole consignment was seized and an application made to Dudley Magistrates Court to prevent the product from re-entering the food industry.

A second consignment of 19 tonnes of another cooked chicken product produced by the same factory in China was also detained by council officers as a precaution. It also tested positive for salmonella in two samples and a second court order was made to stop the meat entering the trade.

A District Judge sitting at Dudley Magistrates Court on Wednesday January 30 ordered the meat should be destroyed and awarded the council almost £2,500 in costs.

Councillor Tracy Wood, cabinet member for environment and culture, said: “The swift action taken by environmental health officers in Dudley has undoubtedly prevented a potentially serious food poisoning outbreak by stopping contaminated chicken from heading into sandwiches and other products.

“I cannot praise the work of environmental health officers enough for their swift action in protecting the public.”