Tesco Finds Horse Meat in Spaghetti Bolognese, Scandal Becomes Pan-European Issue

Tesco has announced that it has found horse meat in some Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese, as the scandal evolves into a pan-European problem. It carried out a number of tests following the product's withdrawal from sale on a precautionary basis.

12 Feb 2013 --- Tesco says that of the positive results, most are at a trace level of less than 1% but three showed significant levels of horse DNA, exceeding 60%. The company also tested the horse meat for 'bute' and the results were negative.

Tim Smith, Group Technical Director at Tesco Group, comments: "A week ago Tesco withdrew a frozen Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese product from sale. We did this as a precaution because Findus products from the same factory were reportedly at risk of containing horsemeat.”

"Since then, we have carried out a number of tests on the product and those tests identified the presence of horse DNA. Of the positive results, most are at a trace level of less than 1% but three showed significant levels of horse DNA, exceeding 60%. We have carried out further tests to ensure that there is no danger to health through the presence of potentially harmful bute. The test for bute was clear.”

"The frozen Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese should contain only Irish beef from our approved suppliers. 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.”

"We are very sorry that we have let customers down. We set ourselves high standards for the food we sell and we have had two cases in recent weeks where we have not met those standards. Our DNA testing programme is underway and will give us and our customers assurance that the product they buy is what it should be."

British Retail Consortium (BRC) members are already active in the areas outlined by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson in his Statement to the House today (Monday) on the meat supply chain.

British Retail Consortium Director General Helen Dickinson said: "As we confirmed to the Secretary of State on Saturday, our members take their responsibilities to customers very seriously. They have already taken the initiative and are devoting substantial resources to action in all of the areas he outlined in his Statement.

"They are leading from the front on product testing to a tight timetable and being transparent with customers, the Food Standards Agency and Government. Retailers' risk-based testing programme is well advanced. Testing is being led by intelligence and targeted on the products that may have been associated with these incidents.

"We are actively communicating what we're doing and have already said we will make the results we have available, to the FSA and publicly, during this Friday. We have also confirmed we will be reporting regularly on future testing.

"As we said in our Select Committee evidence a fortnight ago, emerging risks in other European states need to be better communicated between the FSA and food sector.

"Retailers have been decisive in the action they've taken since they first became aware of this issue. We will continue to work closely with the FSA on any future incidents."

Meanwhile the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney has confirmed that he will be requesting Irish manufacturers of processed meat products to carry out DNA testing and to work with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in developing testing protocols for this purpose. The Minister considers this a necessary step in order to provide further reassurance to Irish consumers and consumers of Irish food abroad.

The Minister has been in regular contact, most recently yesterday afternoon, with his UK counterpart, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Owen Paterson. Having regard to the close trading relationship between the Irish and UK food industries both Ministers have agreed that the FSAI and the UK Food Standards Agency will work closely together and jointly agree an approach for protecting the authenticity of meat ingredients used in the manufacture of meat based products.  

As this matter has developed into a pan European problem, Minister Coveney has arranged a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday next with EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Tonio Borg to consider the wider EU implications of the recent revelations concerning the presence of horse meat in beef products. The Minister intends to discuss with the Commission and other relevant Ministers whatever steps may be necessary at EU level to comprehensively address this matter. The Minister has also arranged to have the issue on the agenda for the next Council of Agriculture Ministers later this month.

As expected last Thursday the Minister also held a lengthy and constructive meeting with his Polish counterpart in Brussels and as a result a Polish veterinary delegation will visit Ireland this week to be briefed on our investigation to date.

Following the findings of the FSAI Survey on the authenticity of meat products (published on January 15), which disclosed the presence of horse meat in burgers and the identification in the follow up investigation of the source, the problem has developed into a pan European investigation of food fraud involving a range of meat products and traders/food business operators. The Minister stressed that, while a European response is needed, it does not lessen the determination of the Department and FSAI to continue to work with the Gardai to bring the enquiries here to a conclusion. 

While the investigation is ongoing, a Trader Notice was issued by the Department reminding all food business operators of the need to ensure the integrity of their raw materials.

The Minister said he would continue to take whatever actions are necessary to ensure this issue is addressed in a comprehensive and effective manner. “It is worth noting that it was because of the vigilance of our testing and control regime in Ireland that what is now a pan European problem was exposed”.