A Welsh food firm last night hit out at bizarre rules that have forced it to explain that its 'dragon sausages' do not really contain dragons.The company has been warned it could face legal action for misleading people that it uses dragon meat in its fiery sausages.
Trading standards chiefs are forcing the meat firm, Black Mountains Smokery, to include the word 'pork' on its labels for their Welsh Dragon Sausages, even though pork is already included on the list of ingredients - and dragons are obviously mythical.
The clampdown to satisfy the Government's Food Labelling Regulations was yesterday criticised by the Black Mountains Smokery boss.
Jon Carthew said the sausages had fallen foul of bureaucracy. 'I don't think any of our customers actually believe that we use dragon meat in our sausages,' he said. 'We use the word because the dragon is synonymous with Wales and I think everyone who buys from us knows that.'
His firm in Crickhowell turns out 200,000 sausages a year, with the Welsh Dragon Sausage including hot chilli.
His sausages, made from pork, leek and chilli, are sent to restaurants and stores all over Britain.
But he was stunned to get a warning letter from Powys County Council's Trading Standards Department, which had analysed his bangers.
It read, 'The public analyst has stated that the name Welsh Dragon Sausage is not sufficiently precise to inform a purchaser of the true nature of the food.
'It is recommended that you include the type of meat eg pork/beef in the name of the food.'
The consumer watchdogs swooped after being tipped off that the sausages were in breach of the 1996 Food Labelling Act of misleading description on their Welsh Dragon Sausage.
The trading standards department ran a full analysis - and proved there was no dragon in it. The firm was informed it was an offence and they were breaking the law because of the misleading name.
Mr Carthew was told that no further action was being taken but officials would be keeping a check on his products by taking samples in future.
The sausages are supplied by butcher Cashell and Son of Crickhowell, which was also sent the warning letter.
Mr Carthew, 45, who heads the three-worker family business, said, 'Have they nothing better to do? It states quite clearly on the label that pork is among the ingredients but they want pork to feature in the actual name of the product.
'It's ridiculous but we are having to comply by tacking the word pork on the end just to satisfy them.'
A Powys County Council spokesman said, 'The product 'Welsh Dragon Sausage' was not sufficiently precise to inform a purchaser of the true nature of the food. I don't think anyone would imagine that dragon meat was being used but we would not want vegetarians to buy the sausages believing they were meat free.
'We have recommended to the establishments that they include the type of meat in the name of the food.'
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String em up
posted November 24, 2006 13:53
posted November 24, 2006 17:05
