MAFF Scapegoats Chinese Food

28th March 2001
Jabez Lam

The MAFF has turned to Chinese food as the latest scapegoat to hide its incompetence in preventing the Foot and Mouth from hapening and to stop it after its outbreak. It has now suggested that the cause of the outbreak is illegal meat imported to be used in Chinese resturants in Newcastle, which in turn had been sold as pigswill to the farmer who fed the pigs that transmitted the disease to sheep, and then to the rest of the UK and Ireland and Europe. What a convincing story. The solution - to ban pigswill?

What was triggered immediately was a swamp of media reporting of this'new discovery'. BBC lunch time news reported that "illegal imports of meat, intended for use in a Chinese restaurant, later found its way into pigswill at a farm in Northumberland where the current outbreak began."

The Evening Standards reported that "meat smuggled from the Far East and destined for a Chinese restaurant was found inside a load of household goods after the first cases were discovered".

The Times reported "Inspectors at Northunberland County Council confirmed that they were investigationg meat smuggled in from Asia as the outbreak's source".

At a time of national crisis and severe criticism of the government, what is more effective than diverting the attention on to a 'foreign enemy', in this instance the Far Eastern meat smugglers. This is a familiar refrain and in an earlier incarnation spoke of social ills caused by the illegally imported human beings flooding this country!

Why Chinese? Are we easy targets known for our lack of organisation to defend ourselves? Or is it because of our known 'virtue' of silence and patience?

If there is anyone who would like to take this up with the government and challenge their sources on this latest invention which will cost million of pounds to Chinese restaurant, take away and food trade, please contact Jabez Lam to discuss 07940 514 268.