DENMARK – HALAL MEAT VERIFICATION ON POULTRY
New spot checks by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration
refute the rumours of pig proteins in chickens that arose after a
programme on Danish TV2.
A television programme called ’Operation X’, shown on Danish TV2 on 5
February, focussed on whether pig protein had been added to marinaded
chicken products. This resulted in rumours in an Arabic newspaper
saying that Danish-produced chicken meat contained pig proteins.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries has visited Denmark’s poultry plants
to control whether – against expectations – the rumours were true. The
control was partly in the form of physical inspections of the
businesses’ warehouses, partly an inspection of the products
themselves.
Pig protein was not found in any of the inspected samples and no pig
protein was found during the physical inspection of the businesses’
warehouses. The conclusion of the Danish Veterinary and Food
Administration is therefore that pig-based ingredients are not used in
Danish-made chicken products.
“I am glad to be able to say that the Danish chicken producers do not
add pig protein to processed chicken products,” says Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Fisheries, Eva Kjær Hansen. “We have therefore
confirmed our expectations that Danish businesses do not use this
method of binding water in their products.”
A total of 38 samples were taken, including 14 immediately after the
’Operation X’ TV programme; the others were taken as part of an ongoing
inspection project before the programme was shown.
A study in 2005 also failed to find traces of pig protein in samples.
