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Home>Sleep Disorders> Nitrofuran in non-Soil Association chicken, UK
Nitrofuran in non-Soil Association chicken, UK
The UK Food Standards Agency is advising people not to eat certain batches of organic chicken found to contain traces of
nitrofuran (a banned antibiotic used to make chickens grow faster). The chicken is not certified by Soil Association
Certification Ltd (the Soil Association's certification arm). The affected products are sold under the brand names Moy Park,
Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons and are certified by another organic certification organisation.
How did the contamination occur?
It is not clear how the contamination occurred. The Soil Association is in contact with the organisation that certified the
chicken to find out why the chicken was contaminated.
Even though the chicken was not certified by the Soil Association, will you take any action?
Although the source of contamination has not been established, Soil Association Certification Ltd is taking precautionary
measures. This includes contacting feedmills to warn them about the problem and asking them to be particularly vigilant when
sourcing feed. We are committed to maintaining consumer trust in Soil Association certified chicken.
What should I do if I've eaten contaminated chicken
Under EU law it is illegal to use nitrofurans in food producing animals. The Food Standards Agency says that this is because
it could increase people's risk of getting cancer. The Food Standards agency says that the health risk from eating an
affected chicken is low because concerns relate to long-term exposure to these drugs. If you have any further questions about
the health implications, please contact the Food Standards Agency on 020 7276 8000.
Is the contamination of chicken meat with nitrofuran linked with the large flock sizes allowed by some other organic
certification organisations?
This incident is not directly linked to large flock sizes.
What are the Soil Association's concerns about flock size?
The Soil Association says that large flock sizes are bad for animal welfare: it will only certify farms with a maximum flock
size of 2,000 laying birds or 1,000 meat birds but recommends that its farmers have a flock size of just 500 birds. This
compares with up to 12,000 birds when certified by other British organic organisations.
Where can I buy Soil Association chicken?
Soil Association certified chicken meat is available from Waitrose and Sainsbury's - look out for our logo or the
certification code UK5 to ensure that we have certified the meat. Soil Association certified food is also available from
local shops and markets around the country: for information about an outlet near you, call 0117 314 5000 or visit http://www.theorganicdirectory.co.uk
 
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