A farm in Ceredigion, Wales, is at the centre of a yearlong investigation by British environmental health officials into illegal slaughterers of sheep, and officials say that prosecution could come soon.
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Unscrupulous meat dealers are privately slaughtering sheep and, according to the BBC, producing “smokies” for a London-based market of African immigrants.
The char-grilled “smokies” are made by taking a blowtorch to burn the wool off the carcasses.
The authorities are concerned however that the meat is marketed without proper sanitation, and therefore fails to reach a high safety standard before it is consumed by the general public.
Mike Pender, head of the agriculture branch of the Food Standards Agency Wales, told the BBC: “We advise people to make sure they only buy meat from reputable butchers or supermarkets that only sell products labeled with the food standards mark.”
“We are aware that an investigation is being carried out into this type of illegal activity,” he added. “Responsibility for such matters falls under the jurisdiction of local authorities, but we are working closely with them on this issue.”
