The food safety watchdog was “hoodwinked”, a senior MP has claimed, following allegations of meat being falsely labelled.

The Farmers Weekly has reported that a meat supplier, which has not been named for legal reasons, sold mislabelled and sometimes rotten pork until at least 2020.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said it is investigating the allegations.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said she would consider bringing the FSA under the control of her department following a suggestion to do so during a session of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) questions in the Commons.

Conservative Sir Robert Goodwill, chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said he was “appalled” to read Farmers Weekly’s report on allegations that a supplier falsely labelled foreign meat as British.

He said: “The Foods Standards Agency in the report, it’s quite clear they have been misled and hoodwinked by these operators. So is there a case to bring the FSA within Defra rather than in the Department of Health and Social Care where it is now?”

Ms Coffey said the investigation was “interesting”, adding: “It is true that the Food Standards Agency, it’s a non-ministerial department and is accountable to the Department of Health and Social Care… there is active engagement.

“But the machinery of Government change he proposes is one of interest, and I will consider that in line with the Prime Minister.”

Labour shadow environment minister Daniel Zeichner said: “We had hoped that ministers might make a statement this morning to reassure the public.

“But in the absence of that, can the minister tell the House what action he’s taking, how often he’s met representatives of the meat processing sector over the last month, and whether he’s confident that adequate whistleblowing and trade union representation structures are in place to ensure that such malpractices cannot go undetected?”

Environment minister Mark Spencer, whose brief includes responsibility for food, farming and fisheries, said: “It’s a very important issue. We’ve not made a statement today because there is an ongoing criminal investigation.

“I don’t want to jeopardise that criminal investigation because these are very serious allegations.

“The Foods Standards Agency has the responsibility in this area. I have met last week with the chair of the Food Standards Agency, I continue to meet with the meat industry, and I have met them this month and do so on a regular basis, but we will be keeping a close eye on the investigation, and we will leave that with the Food Standards Agency to deliver criminal prosecution.”

Andrew Quinn, deputy head of the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), has said: “The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit is carrying out a criminal investigation into how one supplier allegedly provided products labelled as British when they were in fact sourced from South America and Europe.

“The initial retailer was notified at the same time the NFCU acted against the food business suspected of the fraud.

“We are looking into all new lines of inquiry with our partner organisations, including any potential food hygiene breaches, and acting where necessary to protect public health.

“At a time when cost pressures and other challenges mean the risks of food fraud might be increasing, it is vital that everyone involved in the food chain works to ensure that food is safe and what it says it is.”