<p><img class=" size-full wp-image-344" src="http://halalnews.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/agneau.jpg" width="182" height="121" alt="agneau" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <div id="article-header" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; position: relative; min-height: 68px; clear: left; border-color: #d61d00; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"> <div id="main-article-info" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; float: left; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"> <h1 itemprop="name headline  " style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 2px; border-collapse: collapse; border-right-color: #d61d00; border-bottom-color: #d61d00; border-left-color: #d61d00; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 2.166em; line-height: 1.154; width: 460px; border-top-width: 0px; text-align: left; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Pork found in school halal lamb burgers</h1> <p itemprop="description" id="stand-first" class="stand-first-alone" data-component="Article:standfirst_cta" style="padding: 0px 0px 34px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #666666; font-size: 1.333em; line-height: 1.25; width: 460px; text-align: left; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Burgers produced by Doncaster-based Paragon Quality Foods withdrawn from schools in Leicester</p> </div> <ul id="content-actions" class="share-links trackable-component" data-component="Article:top share tools" style="padding: 0px; margin: 5px 0px 0px; border-collapse: collapse; list-style: none; float: right; width: 140px; overflow: hidden; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"> <li class="full-line facebook" style="padding: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><span class="facebook-share" style="padding: 0px; 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margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; overflow: hidden; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><a itemprop="publisher" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #005689; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">guardian.co.uk</a>,&nbsp;<time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2013-05-09T14:25BST" pubdate="" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Thursday 9 May 2013 14.25 BST</time></li> </ul> <div id="article-wrapper" class="trackable-component" data-component="Article:in body link" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"> <div id="main-content-picture" itemscope="" itemprop="image" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/5/9/1368100152896/Burgers-008.jpg" width="460" height="276" alt="Burgers" itemprop="contentUrl representativeOfPage" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;" /> <div class="caption" itemprop="caption" style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #666666; font-size: 12px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Assistant city mayor: 'It is disgraceful that none of us can have confidence in the food we eat.' Photograph: Niall Carson/PA</div> </div> <div id="article-body-blocks" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Halal lamb burgers have been withdrawn from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/schools" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Schools" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #005689; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">schools</a>&nbsp;in Leicester after tests revealed a sample contained pork.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">The decision follows DNA tests on a batch of frozen burgers manufactured by Doncaster-based Paragon Quality Foods in January, Leicester council said on Thursday.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Assistant mayor Vi Dempster said: "I am appalled by this situation. It is disgraceful that none of us can have confidence in the food we eat.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"We regret any distress this will cause families and staff, and would like to reassure them that robust action is being taken to address this serious matter."</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Trevor Pringle, Leicester city council's director of young people's services, said: "We understand that since 1 March this year, the product supplier, Paragon Quality Foods Ltd, has only been releasing product to customers after obtaining negative DNA results for pork.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"However, as a precautionary measure we have removed all of the burgers we had in stock from this supplier while further investigation is carried out, and we will not be purchasing any further products from this supplier.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"We have made it clear to our suppliers that this is totally unacceptable, and we are taking urgent legal advice about the next steps."</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">All other halal products used in the council's kitchens – including 24 city schools – are supplied by another company, the council said. They have been DNA-tested and found to be compliant.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Suleman Nagdi, from the Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO), said: "The community will be extremely shocked and distressed to learn of the contamination that has taken place.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"The FMO is working closely with the local authority and calling on them to take legal action in respect of this contamination, and would urge the local authority to instigate criminal proceedings against the company involved under the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/food-safety" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Food safety" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #005689; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Food Safety</a>&nbsp;Act.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"The FMO feel that such a prosecution would be in the public interest and would send a clear message to all businesses in this sector that contamination will not be tolerated."</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">The Food Standards Agency and Doncaster metropolitan council have launched their own investigations and further tests will be taken of remaining stock, Leicester city council said.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Adrian Russell, the council's director of environmental and enforcement services, said: "The city council is pressing the relevant authorities to investigate this matter as rigorously as possible. Food fraud is a serious offence and those responsible should face the full force of the law."</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">The council said it had contacted the headteachers of the schools potentially affected to advise them of the action being taken.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">It has written to parents of children at the schools concerned and meetings have also taken place with Muslim city councillors.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">In a statement issued on Thursday, Paragon Quality Foods said it had "never knowingly bought or handled pork" and it was working with the relevant authorities.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">The company's managing director, Metin Pekin, said: "We have been informed by a customer that a halal lamb burger produced by Paragon Quality Foods Ltd has tested positive for the presence of pork.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"Paragon Quality Foods Ltd is a pork-free site and has never knowingly bought or handled pork.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"We have carried out a full traceability of the product in question and have provided this information to the relevant enforcement authorities.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"The public analyst at Doncaster borough council has conducted unannounced formal sampling of our products on two occasions, with clear results.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"We are working with Doncaster borough council on a daily basis to provide all information requested. They are fully satisfied with our practices and procedures.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">"At present we are awaiting the results of further testing conducted by the relevant authorities, therefore we have no further comment at this time."</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">A Leicester city council spokeswoman confirmed that 19 schools were supplied with the frozen burgers. The authority was made aware of the problem about two weeks ago and stock was removed from shelves within hours, she said.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">The council has written to 6,000 families whose children might have eaten the burgers.</p> <p style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 13px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Further testing has been done on samples from the removed stock and results are expected next week, the spokeswoman added.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <div id="article-header" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; position: relative; min-height: 68px; clear: left; border-color: #d61d00; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"> <div id="main-article-info" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; float: left; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Source : Guardian <h1 itemprop="name headline  " style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 2px; border-collapse: collapse; border-right-color: #d61d00; border-bottom-color: #d61d00; border-left-color: #d61d00; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 2.166em; line-height: 1.154; width: 460px; border-top-width: 0px; text-align: justify; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">&nbsp;</h1> </div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p>