More than 300kg of 'mystery meat' seized as officials issue urgent warning
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: Westminster Council
More than 300kg of 'mystery meat' has been seized in London amid concerns that it is not safe for import.
The meat was seized alongside dozens of packets of Chinese pork noodles, which are not legal to sell in the UK.
Inspectors from Westminster City Council visited two restaurants in Wardour Street and Lisle Street, where they spotted the meat.
Despite appearing to be packed correctly, the food products were discovered to not be legal to sell in the UK as none of the packages could be traced back to a registered UK supplier.
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This system is important as it ensures that products that are being imported to the UK meet the country's food safety standards to protect public health.
And under government legislation, this rule is especially strict when it comes to animal products and meat.
A separate operation saw council officers, acting on a tip from the Food Standards Agency, seize some 75 packets of flavoured dried noodles, which weighed 18kg.
The authorities found the packages in a separate business on Gerrard Street.
These noodles had banned pork that had been imported from China, and also included pork oil and pig bone as ingredients.
Officers seized and sealed the packages before sending them to be incinerated.
Food standards officers believed that the products seized may have posed risk due to being a risk for the highly contagious disease African Swine Fever.
While this condition is harmless to humans it can be fatal to pigs, and if allowed to spread could have devastating consequences for farming in the UK.
Aicha Less, Westminster City Council deputy leader and cabinet member for public protection, said in a statement: "Millions of people visit Westminster to eat out, and our job as a local authority is to ensure that diners enjoy food that is safe.
“That means knowing the origin of imported food - you cannot have mystery meat showing up in restaurant kitchens with no real idea of where it has come from.
“The meat we found was clearly intended for food businesses including Westminster restaurants."
She explained the operation was about public protection, adding: "As well as a threat to humans, illegal food products are also a risk to livestock. Animal swine fever, even in prepackaged food products, can prove contagious and we need to stop any possibility of it spreading.
"Our environmental health teams will continue to ensure people visiting restaurants in the West End can have a safe and enjoyable experience."