TWO imports of raw and processed chicken from Poland for Aldi were discovered to be contaminated with salmonella.
The incidents led to Worcestershire officials working with the Food Standards Agency’s incidents team and several local authorities where the products were being stored.
Officials from Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), which is supported by all of the country’s district councils, were involved in the response amid a busy financial year.
The incidents took place in the 2025-2026 financial year at unspecified locations and there was no risk to the public due to a ‘proactive’ response from businesses and agencies.
A document produced by the department states that the chicken had been imported by supply chain business Westbridge Foods.
The incidents did not trigger food safety alerts after Aldi and several public bodies took action to protect the public.
A WRS spokesperson said: “In all instances where food poses a public health risk, port health notifications or national recall systems are in place to protect communities.
“Such information is all publicly accessible via the Food Standards Agency’s website and is shared directly with our Environmental Health team.
Food safety inspectors seize raw frozen octopus and banned African imports
AGENCY: Several public bodies were involved in the response to the discovery of salmonella in imported chicken. (Image: Newsquest)
“WRS, on behalf of the six district councils, works alongside partner authorities to stop contaminated or incorrectly labelled food from entering the local food chain.
“Aldi and Westbridge engaged proactively with our officers during due diligence checks and no food safety or recall risks were identified.”
What else did Worcestershire officials do?
A busy year for Worcestershire health officials also involved the seizure of a large haul of imported frozen octopus and banned African food imports.
Overall, the 12 months saw environmental health officers complete 3,542 interventions, including inspections and intelligence-gathering.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Product safety is our number one priority, and incidents of this nature are extremely rare.
“In this case, we immediately consulted with all relevant parties — including Environmental Health, the Food Standards Agency and our suppliers — and it was determined that no further action was required.”
*for more about WRS and to contact the team visit here: worcsregservices.gov.uk
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