The outbreak of avian flu in Turkey ‘does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers’, according to the Food Standards Agency. For the human populace, the possibility of catching the disease can only come from being in close contact with live poultry that has the disease, and not through eating cooked poultry or eggs. Furthermore, there have not been any reports of people handling poultry meat becoming infected. However, the EU has banned the import of all live and dead birds (and bird products) from infected regions to try to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. The impact of the virus panic on food retailers has yet to be ascertained but meat producers specialising non-avian products, like pork-focused Canterbury Foods, may benefit.

Over in the drinks sector, a ‘landmark’ agreement has been made between HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and drinks organisations to tackle the problem of spirit fraud. The Government, the Gin & Vodka Association (GVA) and the Scotch Whisky Association have signed a memorandum of understanding ‘designed to cement co-operation in tackling fraud and smuggling of alcohol’. UK spirits producers will hence work with the HMRC to tackle spirits fraud. The terms of the agreement stipulate a number of measures, including fast-tracking inquiries on ‘suspect supply routes’ and sharing intelligence on ‘irregular trends’ in the spirits supply chain.

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