The Guardian reported foreign pork that was falsely labelled as British had been sold at several supermarkets. An investigation by Farmers Weekly found thousands of tonnes of foreign pork mislabelled as British found its way into the supply chain.
Miles commented: “We are continuing our criminal investigation into how a meat supplier allegedly provided products labelled as British when they were in fact sourced from other countries. This is a live investigation which means we are looking into all new lines of inquiry with the relevant local authorities, including investigating potential food hygiene breaches. This is alongside the work we are doing to investigate food fraud.
“Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication that food is unsafe or there is an increased risk to consumers. Criminal investigations take time and need to be done with due process and fairness. The FSA will work tirelessly on behalf of consumers to ensure that this criminal investigation is done to the highest possible standards.
“I do want to emphasise at a time when cost pressures and other challenges mean the risks of food fraud might be increasing, it is vital everyone involved in the food chain works to ensure that food is safe and what it says it is.”