Last feather processor closes

By FWi staff

THE UKs only processor of poultry feathers is to close next month, it has been announced.

Northamptonshire-based Chettles, part of the De Mulder Group, which produces mainly feather meal as a by-product, blames the decision on a lack of demand, following the European ban on meat and bonemeal products.

“We feel that this product has been wrongly swept up in panic measures introduced to counter the European BSE crisis,” says sales director Paul Foxcroft.

“These are scientifically unjustified and we are making every effort to get a reversal of the decision.”

Some 54 staff are directly employed at the site. The number that will be made redundant has not been confirmed. There are at least 30 other workers employed as contractors.

The company processed about 100,000t of feathers annually.