Nearly a third of lamb takeaways sold in the UK contain a different meat, according to a Food Standards Agency (FSA) investigation. Of 145 samples tested, 43 were wrongly described, with 25 containing only beef, which is cheaper than lamb. Chicken and turkey were also detected, but no horsemeat was found.
Local authorities are being asked to test 300 lamb samples from takeaways starting in May. Business owners face fines of up to £5,000 for mislabelling. Andrew Rhodes, FSA chief operating officer, said: 'Prosecutions have taken place... but the recurring nature of the problem shows there needs to be a renewed effort.'
Consumer group Which? found an even higher contamination rate: 40% of lamb takeaways in London and Birmingham contained other meats, with some having no lamb at all. In Birmingham, 16 of 30 samples were mislabelled. Which? is calling on the government to tackle food fraud as a priority and implement recommendations from the Elliott Review, which followed the 2013 horsemeat scandal.
