This follows an investigation from the National Food Crime Unit, over how UK supermarket chain Booths may have been supplied with mislabelled, pre-packed sliced meat, back in 2021. When officers from the Food Standards Agency and police went on an unannounced visited to the factory, they found that meat allegedly sourced from South America and Europe had been labelled as British (note that here there is no suggestion that any of the company’s meats were unsafe to consume). Three people were arrested on this visit and immediately the firms BRC food safety accreditation was withdrawn.
Customers of its cooked meats ended up cancelling orders, resulting in the company running out of money to keep going.
Derbyshire Live shared a letter that was sent to staff by Ian Brooks, personnel manager:
“I wanted to provide you with an update following my recent announcement that staff would be temporarily laid off as a result of customers withdrawing orders, following the suspension of our BRC certificate. While the business had hoped to find a buyer so that it could keep operating, this has not proven to be possible as of yet. Therefore, it is with regret that I must inform you that Loscoe Chilled Foods Limited is entering into administration. This means that the business is closing and that, with effect from Friday, March 24, 2023, all roles within the business will be made redundant. I appreciate that this is not the news that you wanted or needed to hear. On a personal level, I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am and to thank you all for your dedication and service to the business. That has certainly not been unappreciated, and it has been a pleasure to work with you all over the years. I wish you and your families all the very best for the future.”