Press Release: Wild Justice lodges complaint about Waitrose and Marks & Spencer selling gamebirds contaminated with toxic lead shot

Environmental campaign group Wild Justice has lodged a complaint to the Competition and Marketing Authority about false claims made by Waitrose and Marks & Spencer in relation to selling game meat contaminated with toxic lead shot.

Maximum legal lead levels are set for meats such as beef, pork, chicken etc. but not, utterly bizarrely, for game meat, even though the Food Standards Agency warns that, ‘Eating lead-shot game regularly can expose you to potentially harmful levels of lead. Those who eat lead-shot game should be aware of the negative health effects and try to minimise exposure.

Exposure to lead can harm the developing brain and nervous system. Minimising the amount of lead-shot game eaten is especially important for children, pregnant women and women hoping to conceive’.

Nevertheless, with a nod to growing concerns about the impact of toxic lead ammunition on public health, wildlife and the environment, in recent years both Waitrose and Marks and Spencer have stated publicly that they no longer stock gamebirds (Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges) that have been shot with lead ammunition.

However, research undertaken by Wild Justice during the last gamebird shooting season (1 September 2023 – 1 February 2024) shows that some of their products still contain high levels of lead contamination that would exceed the legal limit stipulated for other (non-game) meat, in some cases more than five times above the legal limit (Marks & Spencer’s Pheasants – here) and over 65 times above the legal limit (Waitrose’s game casserole mix – here).

The Competition and Marketing Authority (CMA) has a ‘green claims code’ that provides guidance for businesses making environmental claims about their goods and services. Wild Justice has provided evidence to the CMA that the claims being made by Waitrose and Marks and Spencer about no longer stocking game meat that has been shot with lead ammunition breaches the CMA guidance requiring marketing claims to be ‘truthful and accurate’ and ‘substantiated’.

Wild Justice said: “It is clear from our lab testing results that the repeated claims made by both Marks and Spencer and Waitrose that they no longer stock game meat that has been shot with lead ammunition are neither truthful or accurate.

“Our results also suggest that neither supermarket has undertaken independent testing to substantiate their claims that they no longer stock lead-shot game meat. Instead they appear to have relied upon assurances from their suppliers that the products are lead-free, and in the case of Waitrose this irresponsibility has continued even after we have made them aware of our results over a number of years.

“Marks and Spencer has now sold lead-contaminated game meat for two seasons since claiming to have gone lead-free and Waitrose has sold it for three seasons since making the same claim.

“Customers of these major supermarkets expect honesty and transparency about the products they buy, including the environmental impact of their purchases. They also expect not to be deceived about the risks to their health and that of their children by consuming poisonous meat.

“We look forward to the consideration of our findings by the CMA”.

ENDS