European meat plants posing 'avoidable risk' of disease, inspectors say

Food safety officials deny claims that diseased or contaminated meat is being eaten by consumers

Consumers are being exposed to an avoidable risk" of disease after a reduction of official controls in food inspections of pig and poultry carcasses across the EU, European meat inspectors have said.

Diseased meat is being eaten by consumers in the UK and EU, including pus from abscesses and tuberculosis lesions from pigs' heads, said the European Working Community for Food Inspection and Consumer Protection (EFWFC) this week. The EWFC represents EU meat inspectors.