UK’S Indian-origin ‘chicken king’ in soup after factory fudges safety date
LONDON: An Indian-origin head of a sprawling UK food empire is facing a parliamentary and other inquiries after an undercover investigation found safety dates of chicken being allegedly manipulated in his factory.
Ranjit Singh Boparan, popular as “chicken king” with his 2 Sisters Food Group being the UK’S second largest by turnover, is due to be called by the parliamentary committee on environment, food and rural affairs to answer questions on the scandal.
An i nvestigation by The Guardian and ITV News showed poor hygiene standards at his factory and safety records allegedly altered that could lead to prolonging the shelf life of chicken. The food standards agency also investigated the factory.
The Guardian said its investigation revealed an instance of workers altering the “kill date” of hundreds of chickens to one day later in August. Chicken portions returned by distribution centres were being repackaged and sent out again to rival grocers.
Other instances included workers dropping chicken on the floor of the processing plant and returning it to the production line, and chickens slaughtered on different dates being mixed on the production line.
A spokesman for 2 Sisters said: “We have now had an opportunity to view all the evidence and launch our own investigation. This is ongoing and we’ll ensure our inquiries are comprehensive and thorough. We will of course continue to work closely with all stakeholders during this phase.”
The FSA said its latest investigation did not find any breach, but chairperson Heather Hancock said ‘any allegation of inaccurate labelling and breach in hygiene regulation (is taken) very seriously’.