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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| How the horsemeat scandal unfolded – timeline | How the horsemeat scandal unfolded – timeline |
| (8 days later) | |
| 16 January | 16 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 burgers are taken off the shelves, by retailers including 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 January | 17 January |
| The ABP Food Group suspends work at its Silvercrest Foods plant in County 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, but have not been found to be selling contaminated food. | 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 January | 23 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 January | 25 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 (FSA) says tests at a Dalepak plant in North Yorkshire 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. |
| 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. | 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 January | 30 January |
| Irish authorities believe "filler product" made from horsemeat and beef found in contaminated burgers came from Poland, the FSA says. | Irish authorities believe "filler product" made from horsemeat and beef found in contaminated burgers came from Poland, the FSA says. |
| 4 February | 4 February |
| 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. | 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 Irish department of agriculture 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 (£39m) in contracts. | ABP Food Group is estimated to have lost €45m (£39m) in contracts. |
| 5 February | 5 February |
| 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. | 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. | Asda withdraws products supplied by Freeza Meats. |
| 6 February | 6 February |
| Tesco and Aldi take down frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals produced by 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 February | 7 February |
| 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 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 agency says it 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 ranges of ready meals produced by Comigel from their shelves. | Tesco and Aldi remove ranges of ready meals produced by Comigel from their shelves. |
| 8 February | 8 February |
| David Cameron labels the scandal a "very shocking story" and says "it's completely unacceptable". | 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. | Meanwhile, Aldi confirms two of its ready meal ranges were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat. |
| 11 February | 11 February |
| The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, says legal action over the scandal will be mounted in Europe. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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 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. | 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. | 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. | Meanwhile, Waitrose announces it is pulling a range of beef meatballs after tests revealed they might contain pork. |
| 13 February | 13 February |
| Cameron promises that anyone involved in passing off horsemeat as beef will face the full force of the law. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 14 February |
| Three men are arrested in Aberystwyth and Todmorden, West Yorkshire following FSA inspections. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | Two were intercepted and destroyed before leaving the slaughterhouse but the other six were sent to France, where horse meat is commonly eaten. |
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