Mad cow threat in chicken alarms British food agency

The Food Standards Agency in Britain says it will test chicken meat for beef protein powder after reports that its widespread use could pose the threat of mad cow disease.

The Guardian said it had found that vast quantities of frozen chicken sold in Britain contained beef protein powder that was added to make the chicken meat absorb extra water so that it could be sold to consumers for greater profit.

The paper said Thai and Brazilian chicken breasts had been treated this way by processors in the Netherlands and exported to Britain for at least five years. It also said food safety authorities had been aware of the problem since 1997.