Probe into cancer drug in chickens

A TOP Northern Ireland farm yesterday launched a probe to find out how a potentially cancer-causing drug was found in some of its chickens.

Moy Park is liaising with officials from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs after traces of the banned veterinary medicine nitrofuran was found in organic meat sold by leading supermarkets. Traces were discovered during routine checks at its factory in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

Even though the Food Standards Agency believed the risk from eating the chicken is low, up to 23 tonnes of the affected birds have been distributed across Britain and been sold by major retailers Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons.

Moy Park was unable to confirm how the infection had occurred, but the company pledged it would carry out a major inquiry.

Spokesman Gareth Jones said organic birds were reared outdoors so they were looking at possible outdoor contaminants.

All the produce, which has now passed its use-by dates, has been cleared off supermarket shelves.

But the Food Standards Agency urged anyone with frozen chicken from the batches to throw it out or return it to the retailer.