Poultry Sales Remain Strong In UK

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Article Date: 11 Apr 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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All of the big four supermarket chains have reported strong, maintained sales of chicken and eggs despite the recent case of bird flu in Scotland.

Asda, Sainsbury, Tesco and Morrisons have all reported no significant change to poultry meat or egg sales in light of the H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza being found in a dead swan off the coast of Fife.

Chairman of the NFU (National Farmers' Union) Poultry Board Charles Bourns said: "This is fantastic news. It is great the British public has realised this is a disease of birds and not of humans.

"We are extremely grateful the public is continuing to eat British chicken and eggs. It is important people carry on supporting the poultry industry - if they stop the industry will be devastated. If they carry on we will get through this."

The NFU commends strong retail support for the poultry industry with most outlets reassuring customers that all poultry, properly cooked, is safe to eat.

In addition customers can look out for the Red Tractor logo on produce which guarantees whole food chain assurance, traceable right back to the farm, and that the product is British.

For more information on Avian Influenza log on to the NFU website on http://www.nfuonline.com

The UK poultry industry is worth £1.6 billion per year.

The NFU has 2,000 commercial poultry members who are producing chickens, turkeys and eggs.

There are 271.5 million poultry birds on the British Poultry register.

NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION, UK

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