Pig DNA has been found in halal chicken sausages that were supplied to a primary school in Westminster, central London.
This contamination was identified after Westminster Council officers collected seven samples from three schools in February. According to the council, it had decided to conduct the tests following the horsemeat scandal.
The tests evaluated for the presence of DNA from cattle, lambs, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats and horses, proved negative for horse DNA.
Testing revealed that pig DNA was present in one sample taken at St Mary's Bryanston Square - a Church of England school.
Following this, the food products have been removed from all school meals. In addition, Westminster City Council's contractor, Chartwells, was asked to suspend the meat supplier.
Chartwells noted the product was supplied by butchers Nigel Fredericks which had taken full responsibility for the violation in the supply chain. Nigel Fredericks noted that the product was sourced from Brook Farm Sausages.
A Defra spokesman said that it is totally unacceptable if food labelled as halal has been found to contain pork.
The FSA is working with Westminster City Council to establish what happened, the spokesman added.
Halal is term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law. The law strictly forbids the consumption of pork.
