Bird flu causes £64m sales slump

Avian flu is continuing to affect sales of Bernard Matthews' products, the company has said.

Cooked meat sales fell by £64m following the outbreak in 2007 in which 159,000 birds were culled in Suffolk.

The slump has been recorded as the biggest drop in sales among the top 100 food brands.

Bernard Matthews has also laid off 300 factory workers and 90 management and administrative posts at its Great Witchingham head office near Norwich.

Higher production costs, including increased prices of grain-based feed, have affected profits.

The company has increased production of free-range turkeys following campaigns by celebrity chefs, such as Jamie Oliver, which highlighted some conditions found within the poultry industry.