British environmental health officials are on the trail of illegal slaughterers of sheep, who are allegedly satisfying a food fad among African immigrants in London.
According to news reports from the BBC, unscrupulous dealers are privately slaughtering sheep, then burning the wool off the carcasses with a blowtorch and marketing the meat without proper sanitation.
The process is aimed at mimicking a West African delicacy, called "smokies," which gives the meat a unique char-grilled flavor. Often, the animal's head is not removed before the carcass is shipped for consumption.
Officials are investigating at least one case of this illegal activity in Ceredigion, Wales, and may soon bring a farm-based operator to court after a year-long investigation.
“We are aware that an investigation is being carried out into this type of illegal activity,” Mike Pender, head of the agriculture branch of the Food Standards Agency Wales, was quoted as saying. "Responsibility for such matters falls under the jurisdiction of local authorities, but we are working closely with them on this issue.”
Pender said the concern is focused on making sure that the meat meets a standard of safety for the consuming public. Health officials in Wales are worried that the practice may spread disease because of the lack of food-safety precautions.
"We advise people to make sure they only buy meat from reputable butchers or supermarkets,” Pender said, “[ones] that only sell products labeled with the food standards mark.”
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