Almost 270kg of illegal meat ‘smokies’, which pose a serious risk to health, have been seized in an operation led by Milton Keynes City Council’s Environmental Health team.
Smokies as they are commonly known, are made from the meat of sheep and goats with the skin still attached, cooked using a blowtorch or similar method.
The production and sale of smokies is illegal in the UK as there is no safe way to produce them without the potential for E-coli and Salmonella being introduced into the meat. Without the usual checks and regulation, inspectors are unable to find and remove dangerous meat from the food chain or to determine if the slaughtering process is being done humanely. The practice of producing smokies is done to minimise costs and maximise profits for criminals.
The city council found smokies at three premises in Milton Keynes after receiving intelligence, seizing around 267kgs of unfit meat. Condemnation orders were issued by Milton Keynes Magistrates Court.
“The illegal trade in ‘smokies’ is a serious public health risk, as the meat can be infected with diseases and parasites that could be passed on to consumers. It is extremely important that meat sold to the public is fit for human consumption and we will consider prosecuting anyone found to be selling illegal meat.”