Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 27 February 2013.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the steps being put in place to prevent any further contamination of meat entering the food chain; and if he will make a statement.
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Paterson, and I are working closely with our counterparts in Ireland and across Europe to ensure that the current unacceptable situation with horsemeat cannot happen again. This includes a three month programme of DNA testing of beef products across the EU covering domestic and imported products, the first results of which will be received on
Secondly, we have agreed to a new intelligence system so that information about the current investigations can be shared immediately. This will enable other member states to act immediately if they have any suspicions that food businesses are not playing by the rules. Member states have also agreed to use Europol to co-ordinate law enforcement efforts. Thirdly, because of the urgency with which we have to deal with what is clearly an international issue, we have agreed that the European Commission's report and recommendations on labelling the origin of all processed meat should be accelerated and published as soon as possible. We expect that this will provide consumers with clearer and more reliable information on where meat products come from. The Secretary of State made a statement to this effect on
I will work with the Food Standards Agency and food businesses to learn any lessons, and to make any changes that are needed to reinforce the integrity of the food chain, and restore and maintain consumer confidence. The FSA is working with scientists and food businesses to set a realistic maximum level of “carry over” for processing plants handling more than one type of meat if they follow good hygiene practices. Above this level there should be nothing in processed meat except what is listed on the label. This is a complicated process and may take several weeks. In addition, the FSA is conducting tests for horsemeat in beef products which will help pinpoint the parts of the food supply chain which may require strengthening to minimise the risk of food fraud.
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