TWO tons of kebab meat that could have caused a life-threatening outbreak of food poisoning were seized by health officials.

The food was found in an unrefrigerated lorry that had travelled five-and-a-half-hours from Newcastle and was destined for fast-food restaurants in Inverness, the Highlands and north-east Scotland.

It has now been destroyed. Officials acting on a tip-off from police said that if it had not been stopped the meat would have been delivered to a number of outlets. One food hygiene expert said the use of improper storage for transportation had the potential to spark an outbreak of life-threatening food poisoning.

Following the seizure, fast-food operators in the region have been warned they face enforcement action if they fail to ensure the safety of their deliveries and supplies.

Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said the incident highlighted the potential risks to the public if any corners are cut in catering safety.

He said: “Two kinds of food-poisoning bacteria can grow on unrefrigerated food – salmonella and E.coli O157 – and significantly increase the risk of food poisoning from them.

“If the meat is cooked properly the bugs are killed.

“But there is the risk that improper handling of the food before cooking might spread the bacteria by cross-contamination on to other foods such as salads, ham and salamis that are not going to be cooked before consumption.”

Officials from Highland Council’s environmental health team searched the van, understood to be owned by a firm in north-east England, after it made the journey from Newcastle to Inverness.

As well as the kebab meat, they found poultry and dairy products among the two-ton load. The council’s senior environmental health officer Patricia Sheldon said food businesses had a clear duty to ensure the safety of their products.

She said: “Food business operators have a clear duty to ensure that the safety of food they handle and prepare is not compromised and this extends to how the food is supplied and delivered to them.

“The safety of the food chain and protection of public health is a key priority for the council and the Environmental Health Service shall not hesitate to take enforcement action to ensure that appropriate food safety standards are maintained.”

No legal action is being taken against the company involved, but the council says intelligence on the food seizure has been shared with other local authorities.

Inverness councillor Richard Laird said the operation praised the council team and police for their “robust” joint action in tackling it.

He said: “Kebabs have a bad enough reputation as it is and that’s not going to be helped by hearing about the meat being transported to the city like this. 

“I congratulate the council staff and police for their robust work on this.
“I hope the knowledge that this is being done gives the city’s late night pub and club goers a bit more confidence in what they eat.”