Woolies recalls lamb products

Tag : Frozen Lamb Carcass

WOOLWORTHS yesterday warned all customers not to eat any lambproducts bought from any of their supermarkets in the past 11 daysbecause the meat may have been exposed to harmful vapours.

The Daily Telegraph understands the massive recall, which affects all Woolworthsstores across the country except for Western Australia, accountsfor about 4 per cent of the chain's total meat stock and willaffect almost 700 of their supermarkets.

The possible contamination was detected over the past three daysafter in-store butchers and four different customers complainedabout a foul smell permeating the meat.
Although the cause of the problem hasn't been verified, Woolworthsthink about 1200 carcasses may have been contaminated duringrenovations at an abattoir in Cootamundra, in south west NSW, runby GM Scott.

"Woolworths understands GM Scott recently laid a new floor attheir processing plant and meat destined for Woolworths could havebeen exposed to vapours," the spokesperson said last night.

Because there is no way to trace where the carcasses weredelivered, Woolworths has been forced to recall all lamb productssold between May 27 and June 5 and with a use-by date between May31 and June 23.

A batch of affected products were yesterday being tested by anindependent laboratory and the NSW Food Authority to see if theyposed any health risk.

No symptoms of illness have been reported by people who haveconsumed the meat and Woolworths maintains that the voluntaryrecall is "just a massive precaution".
A spokesman for GM Scott said the processing plant will wait forthe test results before drawing conclusions.

"The floors are done according to food safety standards andwhile obviously the extent of the vapours has to be considered, thecompany isn't about to accept the blame just yet," he said.

Customers can return the recalled products to any Woolworths storefor a full refund and were urged not to worry if they had eatenthem.