South Africa’s Supreme Poultry refutes DAFF claims

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF) yesterday issued a media release that contained serious allegations against Supreme Poultry. The company refutes these allegations and its industry body, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), has today taken issue with the Department on behalf of the company and the industry, requesting a full retraction of the media release.

DAFF claims its visit to Supreme’s Botshabelo Abattoir on 18 January 2011 to have been in respect of a brining inspection. The fact is that brining inspections fall under the Department of Health, whose regulations Supreme is fully compliant with, and DAFF has no jurisdiction over this process, argues supreme. The Department of Health’s latest report, based on a visit to the Botshabelo plant on 21 December 2010, cleared the company of any of the false allegations made by DAFF and gave the abattoir a clean bill of health.

In respect of brining, Supreme follows legally recognised industry norms and standards and states categorically that its operations in no way contravene regulations governing the brine injection process.

DAFF’s claim that brining is allowed only on chicken breast meat of a carcass is factually inaccurate. It is legal and an industry norm to brine all frozen chicken portions and DAFF’s claim in this regard is unconditionally refuted.

As regards consumer safety, Supreme is in full compliance with all standing regulation and this has been confirmed by SAPA. Supreme’s products represent absolutely no threat to consumer safety and we wish to assure the public of this extremely important fact, said the company’s statement.

Source: Country Bird Holdings