More than meats the eye: Rat meat sold in East London butchers

Buying meat in an East London butchers could be a more dangerous task than you had thought.

By Declan Whooley

An undercover investigation has revealed that some butchers are selling Grasscutter rats at the Ridley Road Market in Dalston.

While this is stomach churning for most of us, Grasscutter rat is a delicacy in West Africa and it is thought that it is being sold under the counter to appease the tastes of African immigrants. Each to their own I suppose.

The London Evening Standard reports that the BBC investigation also found that ‘smokies’ were also being sold in the market. Smokies are made using a blow torch on the skin of a sheep or goat to give it a charred flavour. Like the selling of rat, it is strictly outlawed under UK and European food laws for reason of public safety and animal welfare.

Dr. Yunes Ramadan Teinaz, a chartered environmental health practitioner is outraged at the practice.

“It is disgusting and outrageous that the local authorities don’t take action and remove this meat from the human food chain,” he rightfully said.

One Hackney butcher admitted to his illegal trade on hidden camera.

“Don’t tell anyone, otherwise there will be trouble,” he pleaded on deaf ears.

BBC will be airing the investigation this evening so trade for butchers around East London may take a serious hit over the next few days.

Anyone feeling hungry?