Agriculture Minister Zsolt Simon (Most-Híd) has announced that country-wide inspections into the sale of poultry at Slovak retail stores in October led to "some alarming results", according to Slovak Spectator, citing the TASR newswire.

According to the minister, the alarming results at three stores show the need to change the system of supervising retail chains. When asked whether other retail chains also made it onto the list, Minister Simon said that he cannot rule out the possibility that there was an information leak concerning planned inspections.

A spokesman for the chain at the centre of the allegations said that the company considers the results of the inspection to have been blown out of proportion. External relations manager, Olga Hrnciarová, told TASR: "We regard the interpretation of the state inspection's results as exaggerated and we need to take exception to it."

She added that the meat the inspection found to be decaying in Michalovce was not rancid but only had its wrapping broken. The store in Velké Kapusany also had fresh meat but in damaged packaging, she said.