Horse And Pig DNA Found In Meat Sold As Beef In Latest Round Of Emergency Tests

Horse and pig DNA found in meat sold as beef in latest round of emergency tests

Pork found in ASDA beef meals including meatballs and cannelloni

Horse DNA confirmed in Whitbread burger and IKEA meatballs

By MATT CHORLEY, MAILONLINE POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 13:00 BST, 26 March 2013 | Updated: 13:03 BST, 26 March 2013











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MPs were told that traces of pig and horse DNA have been found in meatballs

Horse and pig DNA has been found in beef meatballs, lasagne and burgers sold in the UK, fresh testing results revealed today.

Official figures released to Parliament showed that of 357 beef products for possible contamination has found two contained horse DNA and three contained pig DNA/

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson told MPs all five products, which contained more than one per cent horse or pig DNA, have been withdrawn from sale.

The three beef meals which were found to contain pork were ASDA Spaghetti and Meatballs, ASDA Beef Cannelloni and Apetito Beef Lasagne.

The Food Standards Agency testing also confirmed that horse DNA had been found in Whitbread burgers and IKA meatballs. A further five samples are 'in dispute'.

There have been no positive tests to date for the presence of bute in any of the UK food samples found to contain horse DNA, Mr Paterson said.

The UK-wide survey of products including burgers, meat balls, minced beef, ready meals and tinned products is in addition to the results of 5,430 industry tests reported on March 4.

Testing continues on the contents of processed beef sold in British shops and restaurants, with the next round of results due in early June.



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Mr Paterson added that although the short term priority had been to focus on the deliberate substitution of beef with horse, 'this does not mean that we have ignored the possibility of beef products containing undeclared pork or pig DNA'.



The string of revelations about what is really in the food we buy has raised serious concerns about the security of the food supply chain

He said in a written statement: 'Consumers have a right to expect that all the food they are eating is correctly described. I recognise that even trace levels of pork contamination, below the 1% threshold, are unacceptable to some faith communities.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said testing of processed meat on sale in the UK would continue

'Where a product is labelled as Halal and is found to contain traces of horse or pig DNA, the relevant local authority will investigate each case and take steps to ensure that consumers are informed.

'It remains the responsibility of all food businesses, including processors, catering suppliers and retailers, to ensure that the food they sell is what it says it is on the label, and Kosher and Halal certification bodies have a part to play in this.

'Any claims on a product certified by a certification body must be accurate. It is for the certification body to set out the standards which a certified product must meet, and for that body to work with food businesses to ensure those standards are adhered to.'

The food industry has been rocked by revelations about horsemeat being found in processed beef for months.

Last week it emerged pure horsemeat imported from Hungary was sold to British shoppers as 'diced beef'.

Nearly half the meat had already been sold to the public before its true provenance was discovered.

The Food Standards Agency said that 100kg (220lb) of horsemeat was imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston, Lancashire, pulseras magneticas and sold on its market stall in town and a shop in Liverpool.

The remaining unsold 1kg bags were withdrawn from sale.