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| Polish supplier linked to burger scandal 'had been providing meat for a year' | Polish supplier linked to burger scandal 'had been providing meat for a year' |
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| The Polish supplier said to be at the heart of the horse in beefburgers scandal had been supplying meat used in British and Irish products for up to a year, it has emerged. | The Polish supplier said to be at the heart of the horse in beefburgers scandal had been supplying meat used in British and Irish products for up to a year, it has emerged. |
| The head of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) told MPs that was "the probable limit" for contamination identified by Irish authorities earlier this month but admitted it could have been happening for far longer. Presence of equine DNA in beef had not previously been regarded as a significant risk, said Catherine Brown, the agency's chief executive. | The head of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) told MPs that was "the probable limit" for contamination identified by Irish authorities earlier this month but admitted it could have been happening for far longer. Presence of equine DNA in beef had not previously been regarded as a significant risk, said Catherine Brown, the agency's chief executive. |
| The meat, in the form of beef and horse "offcuts", was in blocks of frozen product, she said, as authorities in three countries sought to establish where in Poland the scandal originated. Polish authorities have told the Guardian none of five slaughterhouses being investigated in that country have licences to slaughter horses. Checks are also being made at a cold store. But none of the countries involved will name Polish plants under suspicion. | The meat, in the form of beef and horse "offcuts", was in blocks of frozen product, she said, as authorities in three countries sought to establish where in Poland the scandal originated. Polish authorities have told the Guardian none of five slaughterhouses being investigated in that country have licences to slaughter horses. Checks are also being made at a cold store. But none of the countries involved will name Polish plants under suspicion. |
| Brown told the Commons select committee on the environment, food and rural affairs her agency had not done tests for equine DNA in beef before the scandal broke after testing by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. It was only told of the problem on 14 January. | Brown told the Commons select committee on the environment, food and rural affairs her agency had not done tests for equine DNA in beef before the scandal broke after testing by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. It was only told of the problem on 14 January. |
| Tesco on Wednesday sacked Silvercrest in County Monaghan, Ireland, one of the biggest burger producers in Europe, for "breach of trust" saying it had failed to source, as demanded, all ingredients from the UK and Ireland. It is also introducing its own DNA testing. | Tesco on Wednesday sacked Silvercrest in County Monaghan, Ireland, one of the biggest burger producers in Europe, for "breach of trust" saying it had failed to source, as demanded, all ingredients from the UK and Ireland. It is also introducing its own DNA testing. |
| In a separate development, the Co-op revealed on Wednesday that four of 17 tests it commissioned on two lines of its own brand frozen beef burgers made at Silvercrest after the original scandal broke this month had proved positive for horse DNA. In one case the percentage of horse in the meat content was 17.7%. It was less than 1% in the others. The Co-op was not implicated in earlier tests by Irish authorities but organised its own after withdrawing stocks from sale as a precaution. It had also stopped using Silvercrest. A Co-op statement said: "We are taking this matter very seriously. Our decision to withdraw these products at the first opportunity and cease taking further product from this site has proven to be the correct course of action." | In a separate development, the Co-op revealed on Wednesday that four of 17 tests it commissioned on two lines of its own brand frozen beef burgers made at Silvercrest after the original scandal broke this month had proved positive for horse DNA. In one case the percentage of horse in the meat content was 17.7%. It was less than 1% in the others. The Co-op was not implicated in earlier tests by Irish authorities but organised its own after withdrawing stocks from sale as a precaution. It had also stopped using Silvercrest. A Co-op statement said: "We are taking this matter very seriously. Our decision to withdraw these products at the first opportunity and cease taking further product from this site has proven to be the correct course of action." |
| ABP Food Group, owners of the Silvercrest plant, said Tesco would continue sourcing fresh beef from other ABP companies. Burger King, whose products were made on separate lines at Silvercrest, stopped using the plant last week. | ABP Food Group, owners of the Silvercrest plant, said Tesco would continue sourcing fresh beef from other ABP companies. Burger King, whose products were made on separate lines at Silvercrest, stopped using the plant last week. |
| Brown, asked by MPs how UK consumers could know if horse meat had not been in burgers "for months, if not years", replied: "We haven't [in the past] identified horsemeat in burgers as a likely significant risk in this country, and therefore it is possible … and that's why I'm saying that it's very important now that we get to the bottom of the Polish connection and the Irish investigation because it is possible that these burgers have been on sale in this country. | Brown, asked by MPs how UK consumers could know if horse meat had not been in burgers "for months, if not years", replied: "We haven't [in the past] identified horsemeat in burgers as a likely significant risk in this country, and therefore it is possible … and that's why I'm saying that it's very important now that we get to the bottom of the Polish connection and the Irish investigation because it is possible that these burgers have been on sale in this country. |
| "The probable limit of possibility … is a year because it's been a year that this supplier has been supplying. And therefore when the Polish get to the bottom of this we will hope to know whether it's likely that this has been going on for a year." | "The probable limit of possibility … is a year because it's been a year that this supplier has been supplying. And therefore when the Polish get to the bottom of this we will hope to know whether it's likely that this has been going on for a year." |
| Tesco, Iceland, Lidl and Aldi were among supermarkets identified a fortnight ago as having burgers with equine DNA in them by Irish food safety authorities. Other supermarkets took lines off the shelves as a precaution. | Tesco, Iceland, Lidl and Aldi were among supermarkets identified a fortnight ago as having burgers with equine DNA in them by Irish food safety authorities. Other supermarkets took lines off the shelves as a precaution. |
| Silvercrest has been shut down for deep cleaning, the management has been changed and the Irish government will supervise the processor's operations indefinitely. | Silvercrest has been shut down for deep cleaning, the management has been changed and the Irish government will supervise the processor's operations indefinitely. |
| Investigations are continuing at the only UK food processing plant among three first implicated in the scandal, ABP-owned Dalepak Hambleton in North Yorkshire. These include whether it used the same Polish supplier as Silvercrest. | Investigations are continuing at the only UK food processing plant among three first implicated in the scandal, ABP-owned Dalepak Hambleton in North Yorkshire. These include whether it used the same Polish supplier as Silvercrest. |
| None of the Polish slaughterhouses are licensed to kill horses, said Jaroslaw Naze, the country's deputy veterinary officer. He was following several lines of inquiry, including the possibility that horsemeat was brought into slaughterhouses illegally, or that the meat entered the supply chain during the mincing process. | None of the Polish slaughterhouses are licensed to kill horses, said Jaroslaw Naze, the country's deputy veterinary officer. He was following several lines of inquiry, including the possibility that horsemeat was brought into slaughterhouses illegally, or that the meat entered the supply chain during the mincing process. |
| The UK imported 6,200 tonnes of beef from Poland in 2012, 3.5 times the amount imported in 2010 because of cheap prices, although this still represented less than 3% of all beef imports. Ireland imported just 849 tonnes from Poland last year, less than 4% of all its beef imports. | The UK imported 6,200 tonnes of beef from Poland in 2012, 3.5 times the amount imported in 2010 because of cheap prices, although this still represented less than 3% of all beef imports. Ireland imported just 849 tonnes from Poland last year, less than 4% of all its beef imports. |
| EU figures suggest Poland slaughtered 10,253 tones of horsemeat in 2008 and imported four tonnes of horsemeat in the first 10 months of 2012. Britain's total imports of horsemeat from all countries last year amounted to 30 tonnes, all for the petfood industry, but it exported 2,101 tonnes worth £3,763m in the first 11 months of 2012. | EU figures suggest Poland slaughtered 10,253 tones of horsemeat in 2008 and imported four tonnes of horsemeat in the first 10 months of 2012. Britain's total imports of horsemeat from all countries last year amounted to 30 tonnes, all for the petfood industry, but it exported 2,101 tonnes worth £3,763m in the first 11 months of 2012. |
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