16/01/2013

Investigation Launched Into Horsemeat Beefburgers

An investigation has been launched following the discovery that beefburgers on sale in UK and Irish Republic supermarkets contained horsemeat.

Irish food safety officials, who carried out tests two months ago, said the products had been stocked by a number of chains including Tesco and Iceland stores in the UK.

But added that there was no human health risk and the burgers had been removed.

The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was working with the Food Standards Agency to "urgently investigate" how the products came to contain horsemeat.

The investigation will trace the meat back to its source to "find the cause of the contamination".

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), which is conducting similar inquiries, said the meat had come from two processing plants in the Irish Republic - Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods - and the Dalepak Hambleton plant in North Yorkshire.

The burgers had been on sale in Tesco and Iceland in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, where they were also on sale in Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Aldi.

(H)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

28 March 2008
School's Out For Junk Food
The School Food Trust is to set in motion measures that will curb school children binging on junk food. Currently in some parts of England, pupils have a choice of more than 40 fast food shops, with many targeting children with special lunch menus.
18 April 2008
Calls For Tougher Junk Food Advertising Laws
More than eighty percent of adults believe junk food advertising can make it difficult to feed children healthy food, a new survey has claimed. Consumer watchdog Which? Found 83% of consumers surveyed wanted the government to become more involved in controlling the marketing of unhealthy food to children. In total 2,000 people were questioned.
25 October 2004
Tourists warned of risks of bringing food into the UK
The risks and controls prohibiting people bringing food into the UK from EU countries have been highlighted today as part of a public awareness campaign launched today. The current rules mean that it is illegal to bring meat and milk-based products for personal use back into the UK from outside the EU.
29 October 2003
New proposals set to curb fast-food littering
Fast-food outlets and customers will be encouraged to clean up their act under voluntary proposals published today by the government.
05 March 2013
Birds Eye Name Horsemeat Source
Frozen food manufacturer Birds Eye has identified Irish meat processor QK Meats as the source of horse in some of its products. QK Meats, based in the Republic of Ireland, was found to be the one isolated source. It has been suspended as a supplier of meat to the company.