For the second year in succession, two retail outlets have pulled the lamb’s wool over our eyes and, in the season of goodwill, have ruined our Christmas dinner.

I asked for New Zealand leg of lamb but, despite assurances, the purchase turned out to be Maltese mutton. The first visible sign of mutton is the size. The smaller size indicates the female of the species.

Unfortunately, it is only when the leg is cooked that one discovers s/he has been had. Cooking time is longer, the bones are bigger and there is, therefore, less meat and it is tender. The older the mutton, the less bone marrow found in the bones.

Questions require answers here. Butchers and outlets engaging in such practices are committing a criminal offence, particularly as they are taking advantage of a seasonal higher mark-up in prices.

Is the government department involved in quality control aware of this ‘fraud’?

I tried to reach the New Zealand consulate to obtain information about lamb imports into Malta and whether each leg is stamped with a purple marking to show its provenance. I did not succeed in contacting anyone because Malta’s officialdom retires into hibernation around Christmas.

One also asks if there is some ban or quotas on imports from other countries forcing us to unwittingly buy local mutton and, worse still, become the victims of dishonesty.

Can we know why it seems one cannot be sure of buying what is, in fact, just an ordinary item of food?