Smokie (carcass)

A West African smokie is a delicacy made by blowtorching the carcass of an old sheep or goat without removing its fleece.

Legal status

The sale of the African variety of smokies is illegal in many western countries, but they are nevertheless sometimes available on the black market in cities with a large expatriate West African Muslim population. This prohibition is largely due to fear of the possibility of transmission of scrapie, a deadly, degenerative prion disease of sheep and goats, and the potential presence of harmful bacteria such as "E. coli" or "Salmonella" caused by sub-standard meat processing.

Since the animal is burned in one piece, the spinal cord is not removed from the carcass. A consumer, however careful, may ingest tissues from the nervous system. Even though scrapie does not appear to be transmissible to humans, this is made illegal by laws governing the sale of meat from cattle or sheep with the nervous system and skin still attached in the UK.

Moreover, the animals, some rejected and some stolen, are not thoroughly checked for signs of malnutrition, disease or infection. They are also butchered in underground facilities. The consumption of this questionable meat could lead to food poisoning.

Exposé

On 29 March 2005, and again on 6 April, the BBC television program "Watchdog" publicised the sale of smokies in London [http://db.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/consumer/consumer_20050329_2.shtml] , two years after the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) told a conference about their production in Wales [http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3231014.stm] .

Legalisation movement

It is generally believed that meat with the skin and fur attached may contain more bacteria. However, if butchered in a legal and well-maintained facility under expert supervision, the possibility of bacterial contamination would be minimized.

The Farmers' Union of Wales has called for smokies to be legalised in the United Kingdom, stating that there has not been any medical proof that the meat could be harmful. [http://www.fuw.org.uk/press_releases/2004_press_releases/eng_press_releases_109.htm] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3397331.stm]

ee also

*Smalahove

References

*" [http://db.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/consumer/consumer_20050329_2.shtml Illegal Meat ] " at Watchdog Reports. Accessed 6 April 2005.
*" [http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3231014.stm 'Smokie' gangs threaten meat trade] " at BBC News. Accessed 6 April 2005.
*Elliot, Valerie. " [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14709-1139965,00.html Illicit trade in 'smokies' is danger to health] " at TimesOnline.co.uk. Accessed 6 April 2005.
*" [http://www.fuw.org.uk/press_releases/2004_press_releases/eng_press_releases_109.htm FUW backs probe to legalise smokies] ". Accessed 6 April 2005.
*" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/3397331.stm Farmers' call to legalise 'smokies'] " at BBC News. Accessed 6 April 2005.