Public ‘kept in the dark over’ fake steak scandal

Food safety watchdogs have kept the public “in the dark” about the fake steak scandal, an environmental health boss has claimed.

Schools, care homes and restaurant chains – including Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurants and Wetherspoons – were forced to pull meat off menus after supplier Russell Hume was told to stop products leaving its factory.

The company admitted a “mislabelling” problem.

Tony Lewis, head of policy at the Environmental Health Institute, said: “The public has been kept in the dark and the statements ... simply do not add up. Can the FSA now guarantee that no unsafe meat has already entered the food chain...?”.