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Luton Borough Council has suspended halal meat and poultry from the menus of 18 schools as a precautionary measure, after questions raised by the Luton Council of Mosques and the Sunni Council of Mosques Luton.
The Association of Non-Stun Abattoirs (ANSA) claimed the concerns were related to pork contamination in the supply chain. "If there wasn't any pork in the system, there wouldn't have been a ban on halal food in the schools," said ANSA policy director Mohammed Saleem. MTJ was unable to reach the Luton Council of Mosques and the Sunni Council of Mosques Luton for comment.
A spokesperson for the council denied pork had been found in school meals and said: "The issue focuses on the interpretation of how halal meat is certified. We are therefore seeking clarification from the certification body. This is not an issue relating to the source, safety of the food or whether it has been contaminated in any way – we have close links with all our suppliers and regular testing occurs."