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How the horsemeat scandal unfolded How the horsemeat scandal unfolded – timeline
(8 days later)
16 January16 January
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland says beefburgers with traces of equine DNA, including one product classed as 29% horse, are being supplied to supermarkets by Silvercrest Foods in Ireland and Dalepak Hambleton in Yorkshire, subsidiaries of the ABP Food Group.The Food Safety Authority of Ireland says beefburgers with traces of equine DNA, including one product classed as 29% horse, are being supplied to supermarkets by Silvercrest Foods in Ireland and Dalepak Hambleton in Yorkshire, subsidiaries of the ABP Food Group.
Ten million suspect burgers are taken off the shelves, including by Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores. Ten million burgers are taken off the shelves, by retailers including Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores.
A third company, Liffey meats, based in County Cavan, Ireland, is also found to be supplying products to supermarkets with traces of horse DNA. A third company, Liffey meats, based in County Cavan, Ireland, is also found to be supplying products to supermarkets with traces of horse
/>DNA.
17 January17 January
The ABP Food Group suspends work at its Silvercrest Foods plant in Co Monaghan, Ireland, until further notice. The ABP Food Group suspends work at its Silvercrest Foods plant in County
/>Monaghan, Ireland, until further notice.
Sainsbury's, Asda and the Co-op withdraw some frozen products as a precaution. Sainsbury's, Asda and the Co-op withdraw some frozen products as a precaution, but have not been found to be selling contaminated food.
23 January23 January
Burger King, which is supplied burgers by ABP Food Group, switches to another supplier as a precautionary measure. Burger King, which is supplied burgers by ABP Food Group, switches to
/>another supplier as a precautionary measure.
25 January25 January
The department of agriculture in Ireland reveals it has taken more than 130 samples of burgers and ingredients in the past week from the Silvercrest facility. The department of agriculture in Ireland reveals it has taken more
/>than 130 samples of burgers and ingredients in the past week from the
/>Silvercrest facility.
Meanwhile, Waitrose removes a range of frozen burgers made by Dalepak but says its burgers have been tested and are 100% beef. Meanwhile Waitrose removes a range of frozen burgers made by Dalepak but says its burgers have been tested and are 100% beef.
The Food Standards Agency says tests at a Dalepak plant in North Yorkshire have found no traces of meat contaminated with horse or pork DNA. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says tests at a Dalepak plant in North Yorkshire found no traces of meat contaminated with horse or pork
/>DNA.
Tesco drops Silvercrest as a supplier, saying it used meat in its products that did not come from a list of approved suppliers and was from outside the UK and Ireland. Silvercrest used meat in its products that did not come from a list of
/>approved suppliers and was from outside the UK and Ireland, Tesco says,
/>after dropping the company.
30 January30 January
Irish authorities say they believe "filler product" made from horsemeat and beef found in contaminated burgers came from Poland. Irish authorities believe "filler product" made from horsemeat and
/>beef found in contaminated burgers came from Poland, the FSA says.
31 January
Burger King reveals its burgers were contaminated by horsemeat.
4 February4 February
Production at a second meat supplier, Rangeland Foods in Co Monaghan, is suspended after 75% equine DNA is found in raw ingredients, the Irish department of agriculture confirms. Production at a second meat supplier, Rangeland Foods in County Monaghan,
/>is suspended after 75% equine DNA is found in raw ingredients, the department of agriculture confirms.
The department calls in police to aid its investigation, which includes possible fraud. The Irish department of agriculture calls in police to aid its investigation, which includes possible fraud.
ABP Food Group is estimated to have lost €45m (£38m) in contracts. ABP Food Group is estimated to have lost €45m (£39m) in contracts.
5 February5 February
Frozen meat at the Freeza Meats company in Newry, Northern Ireland, is found to contain 80% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland says. It is potentially linked to the Silvercrest factory in the Republic of Ireland. Asda withdraws products supplied by Freeza Meats. Frozen meat at Freeza Meats company in Newry, Northern Ireland, is
/>found to contain 80% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency Northern
/>Ireland says. It is potentially linked to the Silvercrest factory in
/>the Republic of Ireland.
Asda withdraws products supplied by Freeza Meats.
6 February6 February
Tesco and Aldi withdraw frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals produced by the French food supplier Comigel following concerns about its Findus beef lasagne. Tesco and Aldi take down frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals produced
/>by French food supplier Comigel, following concerns about its Findus
/>beef lasagne.
7 February7 February
The Food Standards Agency reveals a second case of "gross contamination" after some Findus UK beef lasagnes are found to contain up to 100% horsemeat. The products were made by Comigel. The FSA reveals a second case of "gross contamination" after some
/>Findus UK beef lasagnes were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat.
/>The products were made by Comigel.
The authority believes "criminal activity" is to blame and orders food companies to test their beef products. The agency says it believes "criminal activity" is to blame and orders food
/>companies to test their beef products.
Tesco and Aldi remove ready meals produced by Comigel from their shelves. Tesco and Aldi remove ranges of ready meals produced by Comigel
/>from their shelves.
8 February
David Cameron labels the scandal a "very shocking story" and says "it's completely unacceptable".
Meanwhile, Aldi confirms two of its ready meal ranges were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat.
11 February
The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, says legal action over the scandal
will be mounted in Europe.
He describes the contamination of beef products as a case of fraud and
conspiracy against the public.
Meanwhile, Tesco becomes the latest firm to drop a major supplier after discovering a range of spaghetti bolognese ready meals contained more than 60% horsemeat.
12 February
The FSA raids a slaughterhouse in West Yorkshire and a meat plant in Wales under suspicion of passing off horsemeat as beef for kebabs and burgers.
The FSA and police officers enter the Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and Farmbox Meats in Llandre in Aberystwyth, west Wales.
Production is suspended pending the outcome of investigations into claims
the companies supplied and used horse carcasses in meat products purporting to be beef.
Meanwhile, Waitrose announces it is pulling a range of beef meatballs
after tests revealed they might contain pork.
13 February
Cameron promises that anyone involved in passing off horsemeat as
beef will face the full force of the law.
EU agriculture ministers agree to random DNA testing of processed meat
products after an emergency meeting in Brussels.
They also agree to test for "bute" – a powerful anti-inflammatory drug for horses – which could pose a health risk if passed on to humans.
14 February
Three men are arrested in Aberystwyth and Todmorden, West Yorkshire
following FSA inspections.
At Farmbox Meats near the Welsh town, the owner Dafydd Raw-Rees, 64,
and a 42-year-old man are arrested and a 63-year-old man is arrested
in West Yorkshire.
Police arrest the men after it emerges a significant amount of horse
meat containing bute could have been entering the food chain for some
time.
Authorities in Britain and France try to trace the carcasses of six horses contaminated with bute that were slaughtered in a UK abattoir and may have entered the human food chain across the Channel.
The drug, potentially harmful to human health, was detected in eight horses out of 206 tested by the FSA in the first week of this month.
Two were intercepted and destroyed before leaving the slaughterhouse
but the other six were sent to France, where horse meat is commonly
eaten.