Supermarket beef fraud: Lancashire-based Booths revealed as retailer probed over South American meats labelled as British

This week it was revealed that the National Food Crime Unit, which is part of the Food Standards Authority, had launched an investigation codenamed “Operation Hawk” into pre-packed meat and deli products from South America and Europe being labelled and sold as British in a UK supermarket.

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The retailer in question was not named, but after being approached by the Lancashire Post, Booths – which is headquartered in Preston and has 27 stores across the North – revealed it was they who had been working with the FSA.

2021

Supermarket bosses are keen to stress that they are not under investigation, and that the meat in question was pulled from shelves in 2021 – and not recently as some national reports suggest.

A spokesman said: “Booths support for the investigation relates to a limited selection of cooked meat products and Booths have no knowledge of any other aspects of the investigation. At the point of being made aware of the potential issues in 2021 Booths acted instantly, removing all relevant products from sale and ceased trading with the supplier with immediate effect.

"Booths would like to confirm that fresh meat, poultry and game products are entirely unaffected by this investigation and that with the exception of the limited selection of cooked meat products impacted in 2021 Booths is absolutely confident in its British only meat commitment. It is also important to note the whilst the NFCU investigation relates to a potential serious food fraud incident, this is not a food safety issue.

1.3m documents

The investigation involves the review of about 1.3 million documents with products being sold to customers as “best British beef”, Farmers Weekly reported.

Andrew Quinn of the National Food Crime Unit said: “The retailer continues to work closely and co-operatively with the NFCU investigation to progress the case against the supplier. This is not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud.

“Any fraud investigations of this nature take time to go through evidence and bring to any outcome, including any potential prosecution. We take food fraud very seriously and are acting urgently to protect the consumer.”

"Very serious questions to answer”

Labour has said there are “very serious questions to answer” about how a UK supermarket has become embroiled in a major beef fraud investigation.

Shadow environment secretary Jim McMahon said in response: “We were told the lessons of the horsemeat scandal had been learnt, but unfortunately this investigation could cast that into doubt.

"There are clearly very serious questions to answer and it’s right that an urgent investigation is currently under way.”

Lib Dem MP Tim Farron, who hails from South Ribble, Tweeted that the retailer should be “named and shamed”.

In 2013, horsemeat was discovered in the food supply chain in products being sold as beef.

Millions of products were withdrawn all over Europe at great cost to the industry and the UK economy.

Full statement from Booths

A spokesman said: "Following some recent speculation Booths Supermarkets can confirm that they have been working closely and co-operatively with the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) since being made aware of potential food fraud issues in 2021.

“Booths are categorically NOT under investigation by the NFCU.

“Booths support for the investigation relates to a limited selection of cooked meat products and Booths have no knowledge of any other aspects of the investigation. At the point of being made aware of the potential issues in 2021 Booths acted instantly, removing all relevant products from sale and ceased trading with the supplier with immediate effect.

"Booths would like to confirm that fresh meat, poultry and game products are entirely unaffected by this investigation and that with the exception of the limited selection of cooked meat products impacted in 2021 Booths is absolutely confident in its British only meat commitment. It is also important to note the whilst the NFCU investigation relates to a potential serious food fraud incident, this is not a food safety issue.

"Issues of provenance, traceability, honesty and authenticity are of the highest importance to Booths and the business has been fully co-operating with and supporting the work of the NFCU for the past 18 months.

"It is important that the NFCU is able to complete its investigations in an objective and impartial manner. The NFCU continue to have the full support of Booths and to that effect, Booths will make no further comment at this stage, any further enquiries relating to this matter should be directed to the NFCU.”