http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/feb/11/tesco-spaghetti-bolognese-horsemeat
Tesco says some of its value spaghetti bolognese contains 60% horsemeat
Tesco has admitted its value range of spaghetti bolognese contains more than 60% horsemeat as fresh DNA tests began to reveal new products affected by the scandal.
Staff had already removed the Everyday Value range from stores because they had been supplied by the same company, Comigel, who made the Findus lasagne that contained 100% horsemeat.
Further revelations are expected throughout the week, as the Food Standards Agency has ordered UK suppliers and retailers to undertake DNA tests on their meat and supply results by Friday.
The announcement came amid a growing war of words between the supermarkets, processors and producers over who is to blame for the scandal, with Comigel claiming the trail led back to Romania - something which was vigorously denied by the Romanian government.
Ministers were also accused of sending conflicting messages about the safety of horsemeat after Downing Street contradicted the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, by announcing that there is no risk to human health from the current food scare. Paterson's suggested on Sunday that there may be a health risk if any horsemeat was found to be contaminated with the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, or "bute".
There had been fears that Paterson's remarks would damage confidence in the UK meat industry. The shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said the confusion was symptomatic of a minister and a government that "had showed dangerous complacency over the crisis". Confidence in the British food industry has been sinking like a stone, she added accusing Paterson of incompetence.
Downing Street cited the chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, who said on Monday that there was only a "limited public health risk" if bute, was found in new tests results. Tesco has tested its tainted products and none was found. Davies confirmed there was "currently no indication" bute was present in any product so far identified in the UK.
Despite this the Food Standards Agency ordered new rapid testing for bute in all horsemeat prepared for export as food from the five UK-licensed abattoirs that slaughter 9,000 horses a year between them, nearly all of which is exported. Up to now, random testing used techniques that took three weeks to deliver results and positive results were reported by the Food Standards Agency to the country to which the food was exported.
The government's insistence that there is no safety problem with horsemeat was also contradicted by the independent Veterinary Residues Committee, which advises the government, which stated in July 2012: "The VRC has repeatedly expressed concern over residues of phenylbutazone entering the food chain. This is because this substance has the potential for serious adverse effects in consumers, such as blood discrasia (a rare but very serious, life-threatening, condition)."
The VRC found that 2-5% of UK horse samples had tested positive for bute residues since 2007. One member of the VRC told the Guardian that the horse passport system, designed to record all drugs a horse is given through their life to ensure they do not end up in the food chain, was failing. "This is not acceptable," the member said. "The passport system needs a deal of tightening up."
Announcing the withdrawal of its spaghetti bolognese Tim Smith, group technical director at Tesco, said: "The source of the horsemeat is still under investigation by the relevant authorities. The level of contamination suggests that Comigel was not following the appropriate production process for our Tesco product and we will not take food from their facility again."
The apparently mixed health messages came after Romania, implicated in France as a source for horsemeat found in beef lasagne made for Findus, denied any part in the crisis. Romania's agriculture minister Daniel Constantin angrily said an official investigation had exonerated his country's abattoirs. Instead, he blamed unnamed European companies involved in the supply chain. A statement on his official Facebook page said: "We will not take responsibility over what is not of our own doing, in that we will not tolerate the faults of a European contractor to be transferred onto Romania without any real basis."
He added that two Romanian companies under investigation had now been officially cleared.
The Guardian understands the two abattoirs are located in and near the town of Suceava, 282 miles north of Bucharest, and close to the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. Romanian authorities swiftly ruled out the first abattoir, which produces horsemeat only. Constantin said the second had also been cleared, adding that it had an exemplary seven-year history.
One leading Romanian food company, CarmOlimp based in Transylvania, vehemently denied on Monday it was involved in mislabelling. The company is a major producer and distributor of meat.
The horsemeat scandal started after the Food Safety Authority of Ireland discovered traces of equine DNA in burgers made by Silvercrest Foods and Dalepak suppliers, owned by ABP Food Group, last month.
Findus is currently considering suing Comigel for supplying horsemeat from its Luxembourg factory. Comigel is also taking legal advice on pursing Spanghero – a French company who provided the meat to Comigel from Romanian suppliers.
Tesco says some of its value spaghetti bolognese contains 60% horsemeat
Tesco has admitted its value range of spaghetti bolognese contains more than 60% horsemeat as fresh DNA tests began to reveal new products affected by the scandal.
Staff had already removed the Everyday Value range from stores because they had been supplied by the same company, Comigel, who made the Findus lasagne that contained 100% horsemeat.
Further revelations are expected throughout the week, as the Food Standards Agency has ordered UK suppliers and retailers to undertake DNA tests on their meat and supply results by Friday.
The announcement came amid a growing war of words between the supermarkets, processors and producers over who is to blame for the scandal, with Comigel claiming the trail led back to Romania - something which was vigorously denied by the Romanian government.
Ministers were also accused of sending conflicting messages about the safety of horsemeat after Downing Street contradicted the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, by announcing that there is no risk to human health from the current food scare. Paterson's suggested on Sunday that there may be a health risk if any horsemeat was found to be contaminated with the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, or "bute".
There had been fears that Paterson's remarks would damage confidence in the UK meat industry. The shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said the confusion was symptomatic of a minister and a government that "had showed dangerous complacency over the crisis". Confidence in the British food industry has been sinking like a stone, she added accusing Paterson of incompetence.
Downing Street cited the chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, who said on Monday that there was only a "limited public health risk" if bute, was found in new tests results. Tesco has tested its tainted products and none was found. Davies confirmed there was "currently no indication" bute was present in any product so far identified in the UK.
Despite this the Food Standards Agency ordered new rapid testing for bute in all horsemeat prepared for export as food from the five UK-licensed abattoirs that slaughter 9,000 horses a year between them, nearly all of which is exported. Up to now, random testing used techniques that took three weeks to deliver results and positive results were reported by the Food Standards Agency to the country to which the food was exported.
The government's insistence that there is no safety problem with horsemeat was also contradicted by the independent Veterinary Residues Committee, which advises the government, which stated in July 2012: "The VRC has repeatedly expressed concern over residues of phenylbutazone entering the food chain. This is because this substance has the potential for serious adverse effects in consumers, such as blood discrasia (a rare but very serious, life-threatening, condition)."
The VRC found that 2-5% of UK horse samples had tested positive for bute residues since 2007. One member of the VRC told the Guardian that the horse passport system, designed to record all drugs a horse is given through their life to ensure they do not end up in the food chain, was failing. "This is not acceptable," the member said. "The passport system needs a deal of tightening up."
Announcing the withdrawal of its spaghetti bolognese Tim Smith, group technical director at Tesco, said: "The source of the horsemeat is still under investigation by the relevant authorities. The level of contamination suggests that Comigel was not following the appropriate production process for our Tesco product and we will not take food from their facility again."
The apparently mixed health messages came after Romania, implicated in France as a source for horsemeat found in beef lasagne made for Findus, denied any part in the crisis. Romania's agriculture minister Daniel Constantin angrily said an official investigation had exonerated his country's abattoirs. Instead, he blamed unnamed European companies involved in the supply chain. A statement on his official Facebook page said: "We will not take responsibility over what is not of our own doing, in that we will not tolerate the faults of a European contractor to be transferred onto Romania without any real basis."
He added that two Romanian companies under investigation had now been officially cleared.
The Guardian understands the two abattoirs are located in and near the town of Suceava, 282 miles north of Bucharest, and close to the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. Romanian authorities swiftly ruled out the first abattoir, which produces horsemeat only. Constantin said the second had also been cleared, adding that it had an exemplary seven-year history.
One leading Romanian food company, CarmOlimp based in Transylvania, vehemently denied on Monday it was involved in mislabelling. The company is a major producer and distributor of meat.
The horsemeat scandal started after the Food Safety Authority of Ireland discovered traces of equine DNA in burgers made by Silvercrest Foods and Dalepak suppliers, owned by ABP Food Group, last month.
Findus is currently considering suing Comigel for supplying horsemeat from its Luxembourg factory. Comigel is also taking legal advice on pursing Spanghero – a French company who provided the meat to Comigel from Romanian suppliers.
