The title of Channel 4’s Dispatches exposé – How Safe Is Your Turkey? – said it all. Clearly, the investigation into practices at a Bernard Matthews factory was going to cast doubts over assumed levels of rigour.

It was well timed (8 December, 7.30pm) to coincide with the rush for a festive bird. The seasonal vibe was further played up by a serious-faced Kate Quilton holding a roasted turkey in front of a dining set, as she told viewers nine million of the birds were sold in the run-up to Christmas.

But it quickly became clear the link to Christmas (and festive turkeys) was tenuous at best. Though Bernard Matthews is known for its range of whole turkeys and crowns, the allegations of “systematic” food safety breaches and poor record-keeping at the Bernard Matthews Holton site in Suffolk were largely related to the production of turkey unicorns, dinosaurs and mini kievs. Not very festive.

Granted, the investigation did uncover what appeared to be some worrying issues around staff training and hygiene at the site, in addition to potential breaches of health and safety procedures.

But Bernard Matthews has rejected the central thrust of the investigation and the FSA inspected the site earlier this month, finding no food safety breaches.

So in the end, the ­programme felt like it had failed to fully answer its own question about the safety of viewers’ Christmas turkeys.

And in the absence of a clear smoking gun, this probe felt more like a fishing expedition than a damning exposé.

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