Food giant 2 Sisters is probing alleged food hygiene breaches after an undercover investigation at its base in the West Midlands.
Over 12 working days of undercover filming, reporters recorded evidence that the firm, owned by the so-called 'Chicken King' Ranjit Sign Boparan, was putting customers at risk by tampering with food safety records.
Changing the records means the meat would be untraceable in the event of an outbreak of food poisoning.
The joint investigation, by ITV and the Guardian, claims to have filmed workers picking up chicken meat from the floor and repackaging it.
Supermarkets have been warned they may be selling chicken past its use by date.
More than 20 workers at the plant in West Bromwich were interviewed and confirmed the claims during the course of the investigation.
In a statement, 2 Sisters said: “We have been made aware of several broad allegations made by The Guardian/ITV in relation to inappropriate procedures, food safety and hygiene issues at two of our poultry processing facilities.
“We view these allegations extremely seriously. However, we have not been given the time or the detailed evidence to conduct any thorough investigations to establish the facts, which makes a fulsome response very difficult.
“What we can confirm is that hygiene and food safety will always be the number one priority within the business, and they remain at its very core.
“We also successfully operate in one of the most tightly-controlled and highly regulated food sectors in the world.
“We are subject to multiple and frequent unannounced audits from the FSA, BRC, Red Tractor, independent auditors as well as our customers.
“By example, our facility in the West Midlands under investigation received nine audits (five unannounced) in the months of July and August alone.
“However, we are never complacent and remain committed to continually improving our processes and procedures.
“If, on presentation of further evidence, it comes to light any verifiable transgressions have been made at any of our sites, we will leave no stone unturned in investigating and remedying the situation immediately.”
The 2 Sisters group supplies top grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Lidl.
