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| Findus knew of potential meat problem days before lasagne withdrawal | Findus knew of potential meat problem days before lasagne withdrawal |
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| Findus knew there was a potential problem with its lasagnes, in which up to 100% of the meat was later found to have come from horses, two days before the products were withdrawn, the company has said. | |
| Findus also said it was looking into claims by the Labour MP Tom Watson that meat used by Comigel, the French supplier that makes the lasagnes, may have been suspect since August last year. | Findus also said it was looking into claims by the Labour MP Tom Watson that meat used by Comigel, the French supplier that makes the lasagnes, may have been suspect since August last year. |
| Speaking after the Food Standards Agency ordered all British companies to test their processed beef products within the next week, a Findus spokesman said the company was told late on Saturday by Comigel that there was a potential problem with the provenance of the meat. | Speaking after the Food Standards Agency ordered all British companies to test their processed beef products within the next week, a Findus spokesman said the company was told late on Saturday by Comigel that there was a potential problem with the provenance of the meat. |
| While Findus immediately ordered tests on the meat in Germany it did not instruct shops to remove the products from shelves until Monday. The spokesman said: "It was mainly a question of logistics, because of the weekend." | While Findus immediately ordered tests on the meat in Germany it did not instruct shops to remove the products from shelves until Monday. The spokesman said: "It was mainly a question of logistics, because of the weekend." |
| When the Findus tests came back on Wednesday it was confirmed that some of what was supposed to be beef was in fact horse. The FSA then tested 18 Findus lasagne dishes and found 11 of them contained between 60% and 100% horsemeat. | |
| Watson used his personal blog to print what he said was an extract of a letter Findus sent retailers on Monday which said Comigel could not guarantee the provenance of meat in products since the start of August 2012. The Findus spokesman said the company had no immediate comment on this. | Watson used his personal blog to print what he said was an extract of a letter Findus sent retailers on Monday which said Comigel could not guarantee the provenance of meat in products since the start of August 2012. The Findus spokesman said the company had no immediate comment on this. |
| A total of 180,000 lasagnes in 320g, 360g and 500g sizes were withdrawn from shops after Comigel warned they did not "conform to specification". | A total of 180,000 lasagnes in 320g, 360g and 500g sizes were withdrawn from shops after Comigel warned they did not "conform to specification". |
| The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, said the situation was completely unacceptable, and the government was working closely with businesses to "root out any illegal activity". | The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, said the situation was completely unacceptable, and the government was working closely with businesses to "root out any illegal activity". |
| "Consumers can be confident that we will take whatever action we consider necessary if we discover evidence of criminality or negligence," he said. | "Consumers can be confident that we will take whatever action we consider necessary if we discover evidence of criminality or negligence," he said. |
| The FSA has given food suppliers until 15 February to test their processed beef products. The agency's chief executive, Catherine Brown, described the situation as appalling and said it seemed likely to have happened through deliberate fraud or other criminal activity, rather than mistaken contamination. | The FSA has given food suppliers until 15 February to test their processed beef products. The agency's chief executive, Catherine Brown, described the situation as appalling and said it seemed likely to have happened through deliberate fraud or other criminal activity, rather than mistaken contamination. |
| The FSA said tests would take place on the lasagne products for the veterinary anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, often known as bute, which is banned from entering the food chain. Anyone who had bought one of the Findus products should not eat it but return it to the shop where it was bought, the agency said. | The FSA said tests would take place on the lasagne products for the veterinary anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, often known as bute, which is banned from entering the food chain. Anyone who had bought one of the Findus products should not eat it but return it to the shop where it was bought, the agency said. |
| Brown told the BBC: "This is an appalling situation. I have to say that the two cases of gross contamination that we see here indicate that it is highly likely there has been criminal and fraudulent activity involved. | Brown told the BBC: "This is an appalling situation. I have to say that the two cases of gross contamination that we see here indicate that it is highly likely there has been criminal and fraudulent activity involved. |
| "We are demanding that food businesses conduct authenticity tests on all beef products, such as beefburgers, meatballs and lasagne, and provide the results to the FSA. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horsemeat." | "We are demanding that food businesses conduct authenticity tests on all beef products, such as beefburgers, meatballs and lasagne, and provide the results to the FSA. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horsemeat." |
| Labour's shadow environment secretary, Mary Creagh, said she would not eat any processed beef products currently on sale. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We've had 10m beefburgers withdrawn. What tests have been conducted on them, if any? The big concern for me now is corner shops, schools, hospitals, prisons, public-sector caterers, people who may have these products sitting in their fridges and freezers. There's been absolutely no advice from government ministers about what people should do." | Labour's shadow environment secretary, Mary Creagh, said she would not eat any processed beef products currently on sale. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We've had 10m beefburgers withdrawn. What tests have been conducted on them, if any? The big concern for me now is corner shops, schools, hospitals, prisons, public-sector caterers, people who may have these products sitting in their fridges and freezers. There's been absolutely no advice from government ministers about what people should do." |
| Anne McIntosh, the Conservative MP who chairs the environment, food and rural affairs select committee, said the revelations were "sending shockwaves through the farming community" and asked why the FSA was not doing more. | Anne McIntosh, the Conservative MP who chairs the environment, food and rural affairs select committee, said the revelations were "sending shockwaves through the farming community" and asked why the FSA was not doing more. |
| "What is the FSA for?" she asked on Friday. "What is it doing?" The message to consumers, she said, was to "go out and buy your meat as locally as you can". | "What is the FSA for?" she asked on Friday. "What is it doing?" The message to consumers, she said, was to "go out and buy your meat as locally as you can". |
| More than 200m burgers have been withdrawn from sale in the last month since the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found that cheap burgers supplied to supermarkets contained horsemeat. The Irish authorities have called in the police to investigate criminal fraud in the supply chain to Ireland's largest beef processor, ABP. | More than 200m burgers have been withdrawn from sale in the last month since the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found that cheap burgers supplied to supermarkets contained horsemeat. The Irish authorities have called in the police to investigate criminal fraud in the supply chain to Ireland's largest beef processor, ABP. |
| Other Comigel-made products withdrawn were the frozen beef lasagne and frozen spaghetti bolognese from Aldi's Today's Special range. Tesco also decided to withdraw its Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese, which was made at the same Comigel site, although there was no evidence of contamination. | |
| Supermarkets said they had no immediate plans to remove any other processed beef dishes but would closely monitor the situation. | Supermarkets said they had no immediate plans to remove any other processed beef dishes but would closely monitor the situation. |
| A Morrisons spokeswoman said: "We're looking at what other Findus products we sell. We'll be guided by the producers as to whether we need to remove anything else from the shelves." | A Morrisons spokeswoman said: "We're looking at what other Findus products we sell. We'll be guided by the producers as to whether we need to remove anything else from the shelves." |
| A spokesman for Asda said the company sold one of the Findus lasagne products, which was removed on Monday: "We're closely monitoring the situation and working with the FSA. It seems to be becoming a bigger industry issue." | A spokesman for Asda said the company sold one of the Findus lasagne products, which was removed on Monday: "We're closely monitoring the situation and working with the FSA. It seems to be becoming a bigger industry issue." |