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Turkey tycoon breaks silence over flu scare

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Published Date: 15 February 2007
BERNARD MATTHEWS, who owns the turkey farm where bird flu was discovered, broke his silence to apologise for the outbreak - but insisted it was not his fault.
The millionaire, famous for his catchphrase "Bootiful" in his firm's television adverts, was speaking for the first time since the disease was found at the Suffolk plant 15 days ago.

He strenuously denied there had been any cover up of his farm's links to Hungary, where the same strain of bird flu was found in geese. He said: "There has been absolutely no cover up at our end. I've been upset about allegations that we withheld information. That is completely untrue.

"It's my name on the packet and I wouldn't let it go out to the shelves if I thought there was anything wrong with it.

"Avian flu is a threat not just to my business but to all those in my industry here and abroad. I know some of you will have ruled turkey off the menu and that is devastating to me."



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  • Last Updated: 15 February 2007 9:55 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Bird flu
 
1

AD,

Livingston 15/02/2007 13:24:46

You feathered your nest Mr Matthews, made your bed.

Lie in it - coz you know you're up to your neck in it.

2

,

15/02/2007 13:43:06
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason: Scotsman Import, Original comment id: 372442, Article id was mapped to record!
3

Douglas,

Bathgate 15/02/2007 14:24:16

AJ #2: Dear dear, are you ready for the comments? :o)

4

Douglas,

Bathgate 15/02/2007 14:25:25

There you are, vanished with a poof.

5

AJ,

Fife 15/02/2007 14:27:55

Some people have nae sense of humour!!:)

6

bill, england,

15/02/2007 15:39:07

This man imported turkeys from an infected country, continued operations after the virus had been found at his factory, exported processed turkeys out of an infected area, and resumed slaughtering from many sources and processing before the source of the outbreak had been located. He could have killed thousands of people if the virus had mutated.

He deserves devastation.

7

Bird-flu/Viruses/Global Warming,

Florida USA 15/02/2007 17:38:15

Factory-farms like Bernard Matthews are the culprits in bird-flu, not wild birds! The problem is that they don't want the public to know the truth because it would drastically impact their bottom lines. And government supports the producers, when it should be protecting consumers.

Dr. Michael Gregor, director of public health and Animal Agriculture in the Farm Animal Welfare div. of The Humane Society of the US says:
http://tinyurl.com/y9n9qk

[Begin Quote]
Highly pathogenic bird flu viruses seem predominantly to be products of factory farming. Indeed, said University of Ottawa virologist Dr. Earl
Brown, a specialist in influenza virus evolution, You have to say that high intensity chicken rearing is a perfect environment for generating virulent avian flu virus.

Many of the worlds scientific authorities seem to agree. The World Health Organization blames the increasing trend of emerging infectious diseases in
part on the industrialization of the animal production sector in general, and the emergence of H5N1 on intensive poultry production in particular...

According to the Royal Geographical Society, Massive demand for chicken has led to factory battery farming which provides ideal conditions for viruses to spread orally and via excreta which inevitably contaminates food in the cramped conditions that most birds are kept in.

Other experts around the world similarly lay blame on so-called factory farming, intensive poultry production, large industry poultry flocks,
intensive agricultural production systems, or intensive confinement. We are wasting valuable time pointing fingers at wild birds, the U.N.s FAO has
stated, when we should be focusing on dealing with the root causes of this epidemic spread which...[include] farming methods which crowd huge numbers of animals into small spaces. [End Quote}

8

is it me?,

Hungary 0; Turkey 0 15/02/2007 20:10:22

Shame , I used to quite like the sausages , and thought they were healthy !!! ( Low fat etc. )
Never again , and not because of any scaremongering, but because I don't think it said on the packet that they might contain turkey-mush from Hungary.

9

scottishsponger,

Free range 15/02/2007 21:58:25

Go Vegetarian and these awfull situations will be less likely to happen. Lets hope that the slaughter of these poor animals will be undertaken more humanely than the massacres of farm animals after foot and mouth, BSE etc. I have no sympathy for this sad man. He has made millions out of the exploitation of animals and has had his day. Soon, it is going to be too expensive, dangerous and environmentally unfriendly to eat meat in the quantities that the western world does and we will be forced towards a vegetarian diet, through society's own greed and stupidity. It can't continue like this.


 

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