Fears over bird flu 'likely to dent poultry sales

UK - Poultry farmers were braced for a blow to sales yesterday as the H5N1 outbreak threatened to damage consumer confidence in the meat.

Fears arose that the arrival of the deadliest form of bird flu in a UK commercial flock for the first time may lead some shoppers to leave it off the menu. Industry figures said unfounded concerns surrounding the safety of poultry meat may dent sales.

They urged customers to heed advice from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) which said no infected birds have entered the food chain.

One supermarket group admitted the previous bird flu scare, last April, led to a drop in sales, a pattern that has been repeated in other countries.

But the Sainsbury's spokeswoman said she believed customers are now "wiser" to the actual risks, minimising any knock-on effect on sales.

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Source: Western Mail

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