Brazilian beef is back on shelves at Tesco, sparking anger from Asda, which had agreed to stop selling it.
Tesco said that it was sourcing rump steak for its Value range from a handful of Brazilian producers in areas unaffected by the foot and mouth epidemic.
But it turned the tables on detractors by claiming that it had worked hard to overcome the challenge of reliable assurance, which is where retailer Asda was brought to task by the
NFU back in May, forcing it to remove the meat from its shelves.
In a turnaround of the usual situation, Tesco found its decision supported by the NFU, where livestock adviser Peter King welcomed the store's efforts to achieve transparency. "The NFU was informed of Tesco's decision to source Brazilian rump steaks for its Value range earlier this summer.
"From the information with which the NFU has been presented, we are generally satisfied that the Brazilian beef on sale has been produced to comparable production standards."
King said that his concern over Brazilian beef imports was that non-assured product could find its way on to UK shelves if a retailer did not have sufficient control over its supply chain. He added: "It would make sense if we moved to a single production standard for all beef consumed in the UK, irrespective of where it is produced and where it is sold."
King added: "Asda's recent commitment to source all its imported beef to equal production standards should be welcomed. The NFU would like other retailers to commit to this."
A spokesman for Asda said: "We would like to reassure British producers that any imported meat we sell will only be sourced from those farms that comply with the necessary welfare standards."
Tesco said that it was sourcing rump steak for its Value range from a handful of Brazilian producers in areas unaffected by the foot and mouth epidemic.
But it turned the tables on detractors by claiming that it had worked hard to overcome the challenge of reliable assurance, which is where retailer Asda was brought to task by the
NFU back in May, forcing it to remove the meat from its shelves.
In a turnaround of the usual situation, Tesco found its decision supported by the NFU, where livestock adviser Peter King welcomed the store's efforts to achieve transparency. "The NFU was informed of Tesco's decision to source Brazilian rump steaks for its Value range earlier this summer.
"From the information with which the NFU has been presented, we are generally satisfied that the Brazilian beef on sale has been produced to comparable production standards."
King said that his concern over Brazilian beef imports was that non-assured product could find its way on to UK shelves if a retailer did not have sufficient control over its supply chain. He added: "It would make sense if we moved to a single production standard for all beef consumed in the UK, irrespective of where it is produced and where it is sold."
King added: "Asda's recent commitment to source all its imported beef to equal production standards should be welcomed. The NFU would like other retailers to commit to this."
A spokesman for Asda said: "We would like to reassure British producers that any imported meat we sell will only be sourced from those farms that comply with the necessary welfare standards."
No comments yet