PUBLICATION GLOBE AND MAIL
DATE: MON FEB.11,2013
PAGE: A1
BYLINE: PAUL WALDIE
CLASS: International News
EDITION: Metro DATELINE: London EN
FOOD
Horsemeat furor has EU re-examining its food chain
PAUL WALDIE
LONDON A growing scandal over horsemeat found in
beef products has swept across Europe, leaving many
Europeans wondering where their food is coming from
and just what it contains.
On Sunday, supermarkets across Britain, France and
Sweden began pulling millions of packages of beef
lasagna, spaghetti, burgers and dozens of other
products from their shelves after tests showed some
contained up to 100 per cent horsemeat. Government
officials in several countries have also called in the
police to investigate what some are calling a criminal
conspiracy. And many are now pointing fingers at
Romania and Poland where, it is alleged, much of the
horsemeat originated and was mixed into meat sold as
beef. In Britain, some are calling for a total ban on beef
imports and the food industry has been ordered to test
every beef product. The results of those tests are
expected later this week and officials say they are
likely to turn up even more contaminated meat.
"This is a conspiracy against the public," Environment
Secretary Owen Paterson told the BBC. "Now, it's either
a case of gross incompetence or . . . a case of an
international criminal conspiracy."
The case has raised troubling issues about how food is
processed across the European Union's open borders,
where food products manufactured in one country can
have ingredients sourced by suppliers in many others.
And it has prompted questions about how fierce
competition is driving some suppliers to cut costs.
Officials have said none of the beef tested so far is
dangerous to eat, but they worry future samples could
contain phenylbutazone, a painkiller used on horses
that can cause blood disorders in humans.
Some of the beef products sold in Britain went through
five different suppliers in four countries before landing
on supermarket shelves. The beef ingredient in just
one frozen meal made by food giant Findus travelled
through a processor in France, which bought it from a
trader in Cyprus, who used a trader in the Netherlands
who received it from two butchers in Romania.
In other cases meat from two slaughterhouses in
Poland, where cattle and horses were slaughtered,
followed a similar winding path through factories in
France and Luxembourg and then on to grocery stores
in Britain and Ireland. While the EU has strict rules
about food labelling, enforcement is weak and
penalties for mislabelling are considered light.
In many cases the food companies involved said they
had no idea where the meat originated and most are
now suing their suppliers who are suing their
subcontractors. Several grocery stores and Findus have
threatened to sue French food processor Comigel
S.A.S., which manufactures frozen-food products sold
in more than a dozen countries. Comigel has blamed
its supplier, another French company called
Spanghero.
"We were victims and it's clear now that the problem
was neither with Findus nor with Comigel," Comigel's
chief executive, Erick Lehagre, told reporters in France.
In a statement, Spanghero confirmed it sourced beef in
Rom-ania, but said the company had no idea it
contained horsemeat. It plans to sue the Romanians.
Officials in Romania and Poland, both major horse
meat exporters, promised to investigate the
allegations. Romania has 25 abattoirs that slaughter
horses, and the meat is sold in several countries where
it is considered a delicacy. Romanian officials have
insisted their facilities meet EU standards and that no
irregularities have been found, and President Traian
Basescu said his country would lose credibility "for
many years," if the Romanian butchers turn out to be
at the root of the problem.
The EU agriculture minister is scheduled to meet
Romania's foreign minister Monday.
Critics say the constant drive to keep retail prices
down has stretched the supply chain. For example, a
package of eight frozen burgers at several British
supermarkets sells for less than $3 a box. But the price
of beef has been rising to record levels around the
world, making it harder to keep the retail price
competitive. Horsemeat can be an attractive alternative
because it is up to 40 per cent cheaper than beef in
some countries.
There are also questions about government agencies
that monitor food safety. Britain's Food Standards
Agency has not tested for horse meat in beef for 10
years and FSA chief executive Catherine Brown
acknowledged recently that Britons could have been
eating burgers containing horsemeat for a year.
http://206.75.155.11/Agcan/m.bbsummaries.asp?
articleId=/agcan/clips/130211/f08060BC.htm
DATE: MON FEB.11,2013
PAGE: A1
BYLINE: PAUL WALDIE
CLASS: International News
EDITION: Metro DATELINE: London EN
FOOD
Horsemeat furor has EU re-examining its food chain
PAUL WALDIE
LONDON A growing scandal over horsemeat found in
beef products has swept across Europe, leaving many
Europeans wondering where their food is coming from
and just what it contains.
On Sunday, supermarkets across Britain, France and
Sweden began pulling millions of packages of beef
lasagna, spaghetti, burgers and dozens of other
products from their shelves after tests showed some
contained up to 100 per cent horsemeat. Government
officials in several countries have also called in the
police to investigate what some are calling a criminal
conspiracy. And many are now pointing fingers at
Romania and Poland where, it is alleged, much of the
horsemeat originated and was mixed into meat sold as
beef. In Britain, some are calling for a total ban on beef
imports and the food industry has been ordered to test
every beef product. The results of those tests are
expected later this week and officials say they are
likely to turn up even more contaminated meat.
"This is a conspiracy against the public," Environment
Secretary Owen Paterson told the BBC. "Now, it's either
a case of gross incompetence or . . . a case of an
international criminal conspiracy."
The case has raised troubling issues about how food is
processed across the European Union's open borders,
where food products manufactured in one country can
have ingredients sourced by suppliers in many others.
And it has prompted questions about how fierce
competition is driving some suppliers to cut costs.
Officials have said none of the beef tested so far is
dangerous to eat, but they worry future samples could
contain phenylbutazone, a painkiller used on horses
that can cause blood disorders in humans.
Some of the beef products sold in Britain went through
five different suppliers in four countries before landing
on supermarket shelves. The beef ingredient in just
one frozen meal made by food giant Findus travelled
through a processor in France, which bought it from a
trader in Cyprus, who used a trader in the Netherlands
who received it from two butchers in Romania.
In other cases meat from two slaughterhouses in
Poland, where cattle and horses were slaughtered,
followed a similar winding path through factories in
France and Luxembourg and then on to grocery stores
in Britain and Ireland. While the EU has strict rules
about food labelling, enforcement is weak and
penalties for mislabelling are considered light.
In many cases the food companies involved said they
had no idea where the meat originated and most are
now suing their suppliers who are suing their
subcontractors. Several grocery stores and Findus have
threatened to sue French food processor Comigel
S.A.S., which manufactures frozen-food products sold
in more than a dozen countries. Comigel has blamed
its supplier, another French company called
Spanghero.
"We were victims and it's clear now that the problem
was neither with Findus nor with Comigel," Comigel's
chief executive, Erick Lehagre, told reporters in France.
In a statement, Spanghero confirmed it sourced beef in
Rom-ania, but said the company had no idea it
contained horsemeat. It plans to sue the Romanians.
Officials in Romania and Poland, both major horse
meat exporters, promised to investigate the
allegations. Romania has 25 abattoirs that slaughter
horses, and the meat is sold in several countries where
it is considered a delicacy. Romanian officials have
insisted their facilities meet EU standards and that no
irregularities have been found, and President Traian
Basescu said his country would lose credibility "for
many years," if the Romanian butchers turn out to be
at the root of the problem.
The EU agriculture minister is scheduled to meet
Romania's foreign minister Monday.
Critics say the constant drive to keep retail prices
down has stretched the supply chain. For example, a
package of eight frozen burgers at several British
supermarkets sells for less than $3 a box. But the price
of beef has been rising to record levels around the
world, making it harder to keep the retail price
competitive. Horsemeat can be an attractive alternative
because it is up to 40 per cent cheaper than beef in
some countries.
There are also questions about government agencies
that monitor food safety. Britain's Food Standards
Agency has not tested for horse meat in beef for 10
years and FSA chief executive Catherine Brown
acknowledged recently that Britons could have been
eating burgers containing horsemeat for a year.
http://206.75.155.11/Agcan/m.bbsummaries.asp?
articleId=/agcan/clips/130211/f08060BC.htm
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