Masood Khawaja, President of Halal Food Authority, has asked owners of halal takeaways, restaurants and corner shops to avoid selling imported frozen chicken breasts and fillets until the Food Standards Agency (FSA) gives an all clear signal. Instead, they should use fresh chicken. The appeal was prompted by the FSA disclosure that imported-processed chicken padded out with water, using pork or beef protein, labelled as halal, continue to flood British catering industry. Some samples tested by the FSA contained up to 50% water bulked up by non-chicken protein. Some 60,0000 tonnes of the product, mostly presented as frozen chicken breast and fillet are imported each year. This amount to 40 percent of the total imports consumed by the catering industry.

Mr. Khawaja has also requested processed food manufacturers in the UK to ensure that they do not use imported processed chicken to prepare halal ready-meal or frozen products.

According to the FSA, frozen processed chicken with added water, using non-chicken protein, is mainly coming from Holland and include the following brands: De Kippenhof, Duke, TL, Olympia, Rohim and Fraas.

For further information, please contact:
Masood Khawaja
020 8563 1994 / 07860 635 537
10 June 2003

©Halal Food Authority 2006