Farmers and butchers insist they are unconcerned by an MRSA outbreak in turkeys less than a month before Christmas.
Inspectors identified the infection in a flock of birds on an East Anglian farm, but Food Standards Agency and Defra officials insisted any risk to human health was very low and allowed the turkeys to be sold as normal.
It had initially been suggested consumer confidence could be damaged, but farms and butcheries across the Maldon area claim the discovery of the livestock strain of the superbug has been blown out of proportion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here