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Tesco's chicken movement questioned
Tesco has apparently admitted to shipping Scottish
chickens for processing in Essex and back again to sell on the Scottish
market.
MeatInfo has reported that the giant UK retailer, Tesco, which described
the situation as an “anomaly†and admitted it was “highly questionable†from a
food miles point of view, said the situation was a case of “Hobson's
choiceâ€.
Max Tooley, meat technical manager for poultry, said: “Last year the
Grampian Country Food Group closed its Banff site, which didn't leave us any
option.â€
Consequently, he said, Scottish chicken from Grampian's Cooper Angus
slaughter plant was being sent to a plant in Essex for processing into portions
before being shipped back for sale in Scotland.
This situation, which has been in place for around six months now, would
soon be changed with the approval of a new processing plant in Scotland. “Two
Sisters has recently bought Mitchell Brothers in Scotland and we're waiting to
approve their site for all our Scottish chicken.â€
He added that once the processing facilities was approved, which apparently
carries an investment cost of £2 mln, Tesco would be switching its Scottish
poultry business to Two Sisters.
Related link:
Editor WorldPoultry
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