UK – MP Shabana Mahmood Raised Muslim Concerns Over Pork. Shabana Mahmood a leading Muslim politician from Ladywood Constituency Birmingham is in dialogue with ANSA and has advice them that she will be writing to the Prime minister and the secretary of state about the urgent situation with pork protein in beef burgers imported from Ireland without any declaration.
The Prime Minister David Cameron in a statement to the House of Commons stated that ‘it is the responsibility of the retailers to inform their customers what is in package’.
The fact that these products have been adulterated raise’s a concern and has to be investigated by the Food Standard Agency whether they have been doctored with or without prior knowledge of the retailers, they should also be investigated further as they all claim to have BRC (British Retail Consortium) approved plant, as such they have violated their own standard and should be re inspected, re audited as this is a major non conformity.
The FSA have a responsibility to investigate who is at fault, the manufacturer, retailer or both, bearing in mind the FSA Ireland did not advise the public until second week in January when they were fully aware of the situation back in November 2012.
This is in violation of secular law and the authorities have an obligation to investigate and remove these products regardless of whether it is a halal or not.
This is totally unacceptable as one of the manufacturer named by FSAIreland is known to be slaughtering totally halal and not advising the non Muslim community or labeling it.
This is not acceptable as some communities do not want to purchase or consume halal meat and are been forced to consume halal without their knowledge.
The Muslim community through intervention of M/s Shabana Mahmood MP will be tabling this question in a written format to the Prime Mister and the Secretary of state as an urgent situation, which has been highlighted by her constituency members in Ladywood, for them to be advised where and how this fraud has taken place.
ANSA has been in dialogue with head of Birmingham Environmental health regarding the recent predicaments and scare about pork in beef Burgers and have been advised that they cannot investigate these allegations as these slaughter houses who have manufactured these products are not based in the Birmingham area, even though these frozen product could be consumed by the Birmingham Muslim community which might have pork in them.
The head of environmental service has the advised Association that no DNA test on any product have been carried out in Birmingham due to the financial constraints despite extremely large amounts of halal beef product import from Ireland are been consumed in halal fast food outlets here in Birmingham, which might or might not have pork in them.
As a concerned community we requests the Food Standard Agency to Officially inform all communities of the suspected product and name the brands so that they can be easily identified and removed from the consumer freezers, as these are frozen product that are in question and frozen foods have a 12 months shelve life from date of production.
We the Muslim community hope with the intervention of M/s Shabana Mahmood MP will bring a swift conclusion as most of these frozen products are produced on own labels, that could easily find their way into schools and colleges and hospitals, its for that reason, why all brands must identified and be named as this would in breach of their religious dietary needs.
We at ANSA await with interest the outcome of the investigation into how horse meat and pork found its way into beef burgers and other frozen food, only then will can make sure that this does not happen again, we would like the government to introduce random DNA testing on all halal products as an additional fail safe to guarantee their quality and prevalence.
ANSA has raised particular concerns over co-mingled products which mixes UK and imported meat similar to halal and non halal, that is why we are asking for an open debate on this practice and clearer labeling, and to advice all community if the products have been slaughtered halal or not, British Consumers have a right to know how their meat has been processed and slaughtered.
“As for the labeling it is general consensus if labelling is to be introduced, then all meat should be labeled, as method of slaughters not just halal meat. Whether electrocuted, shot in the head, or gassed”.
We are asking the FSA to come clean and investigate and remove these brand or any other brands that have been identified and advised the Muslim community to remove contaminated product from their freezers and not to.
Originally published on http://www.halalnews.co.uk/