Govt awaits results on Thai chicken

THE Department of Agriculture is awaiting results from four batches of Thai chicken sent to a Belfast laboratory to undergo tests for the presence of banned drugs.

Since March, when the EU ordered tests on all chicken imports from Thailand, five consignments have been sent for testing by the Department. One of them was found to contain Nitrofurans, an antibiotic banned in Europe because of fears it could cause cancer.

The Department said the banned drug had been detected in a consignment of Thai chicken when it arrived at Dublin Port from Britain in April.