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Horsemeat scandal: Minister to hold second food summit Horsemeat scandal: MPs debate crisis
(35 minutes later)
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is due to meet food industry representatives for the second time in a week to discuss the horsemeat crisis. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is to meet food industry representatives for the second time in a week to discuss the horsemeat crisis.
Mr Paterson reiterated that it appeared "criminal activity" had been at the heart of the scandal.Mr Paterson reiterated that it appeared "criminal activity" had been at the heart of the scandal.
MPs are discussing the issue in the Commons after Labour called a debate. In an MPs' debate Labour said consumers deserved to know what they were eating.
Meanwhile, the meat in some Tesco Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese, withdrawn from sale last week, has been found to contain 60% horsemeat. Meanwhile, the meat in some Tesco Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese has been found to contain 60% horsemeat.
Horsemeat has been detected in several branded and supermarket-own processed meat products over the past few weeks.Horsemeat has been detected in several branded and supermarket-own processed meat products over the past few weeks.
Tougher testingTougher testing
The summit will be the environment secretary's second meeting with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), supermarkets and distributors in a matter of days. Tuesday's meeting will include supermarkets, the Institute of Grocery Distributors and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), and comes after a larger summit was held on Saturday to try to discover how products labelled as beef contained up to 100% horsemeat.
On Saturday, Mr Paterson held an emergency meeting to try to discover how products labelled as beef and sold in supermarkets contained up to 100% horsemeat. Retailers have agreed to carry out tougher testing of beef products.
Retailers have agreed to carry out tougher testing of beef products and Mr Paterson warned "more bad news" could come when the results are revealed on Friday. Mr Paterson briefed the cabinet on the situation earlier and has spoken to various EU counterparts and is due to meet them in Brussels on Wednesday.
The minister said there were plans to test all processed beef in the UK, but he told MPs on Tuesday he did not want to an "an extra layer of bureaucracy". Labour have urged the government to speed up testing in order to restore consumer confidence.
He earlier said testing should take place every three months, and the FSA should be notified of the results. Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said: "We certainly need to make sure what is coming in is exactly as it says on the label.
He briefed the cabinet on the situation earlier. He has spoken to various EU counterparts and is due to meet them in Brussels on Wednesday. "I do think there is an issue with large quantities of horsemeat coming in from countries such as Canada and Mexico ... tonnes and tonnes of this meat coming in where there is no traceability and no guarantee about what these horses have had injected."
Labour are urging the government to speed up testing in order to restore consumer confidence. She blamed the government's decision to "fragment the Food Standards Agency's responsibilities".
"We all want the British public to have confidence the food they are buying in the shops from our producers is correctly labelled, legal and safe.
"It is not good enough to say, 'we don't know what is in your food but whatever it is, we guarantee it is safe to eat'. The British people deserve so much better than that."
She called for a tightening up of microchipping and passporting of horses slaughtered for food production in the UK, repeating statistics which showed 6% of horses killed in Britain later tested positive for the drug bute, which is not cleared for human consumption.
However, Mr Paterson said: "The Food Standards Agency has been quite clear giving advice to all those who supply to public institutions - schools, prisons, hospitals - and as I said [on Monday] it is the suppliers who have the ultimate responsibility for the quality of what they sell."
Police await evidencePolice await evidence
Police said they were waiting for any evidence of criminal activity from the FSA before an investigation could begin, as suspicion alone was not enough.Police said they were waiting for any evidence of criminal activity from the FSA before an investigation could begin, as suspicion alone was not enough.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "People have got suspicions, I think the minister said there are two broad options, which is either negligence or criminal conspiracy.Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "People have got suspicions, I think the minister said there are two broad options, which is either negligence or criminal conspiracy.
"They are the options, but of course we can't investigate to see which of the options is true, we just need some information to help us.""They are the options, but of course we can't investigate to see which of the options is true, we just need some information to help us."
He also said the location of the crime - abroad or in the UK - would determine who investigated.He also said the location of the crime - abroad or in the UK - would determine who investigated.
Meanwhile, two Northern Ireland Assembly committees are holding a special meeting later to debate the issue of contaminated meat. Meanwhile, two Northern Ireland Assembly committees are meeting later to debate the issue of contaminated meat.
A consignment of meat at Newry firm Freeza Meats was last week found to contain about 80% horsemeat.A consignment of meat at Newry firm Freeza Meats was last week found to contain about 80% horsemeat.
The horsemeat scandal was sparked last month when Irish food inspectors announced they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains. The horsemeat scandal was sparked last month when Irish food inspectors said they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains.
The crisis has spread all over Europe as details of the convoluted supply chain in the meat industry emerge.The crisis has spread all over Europe as details of the convoluted supply chain in the meat industry emerge.
'Appropriate process''Appropriate process'
Tesco became the latest firm to announce it was dropping French food supplier Comigel after DNA tests on the frozen bolognese were known. On Monday, Tesco became the latest firm to announce it was dropping French food supplier Comigel after DNA tests on the frozen bolognese were known.
The supermarket giant took the spaghetti bolognese off the shelves when it found out it came from the same factory as Findus beef lasagne, also at the centre of the horsemeat controversy.The supermarket giant took the spaghetti bolognese off the shelves when it found out it came from the same factory as Findus beef lasagne, also at the centre of the horsemeat controversy.
Tesco said the level of contamination suggested Comigel had not been "not following the appropriate production process".
Tesco Group technical director Tim Smith said: "We are very sorry that we have let customers down."
The bolognese was also tested for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone as animals treated with "bute" are not allowed to enter the food chain. The results were clear.The bolognese was also tested for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone as animals treated with "bute" are not allowed to enter the food chain. The results were clear.
Wednesday's meeting in Brussels was called by the Irish Republic, which holds the EU presidency.
Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said the summit would discuss "whatever steps may be necessary at EU level to comprehensively address this matter".
One proposal they will discuss is to make a label of origin obligatory for processed meat, just as it is for unprocessed meat.
French anti-fraud inspectors have been at the Comigel headquarters in Metz, north-east France.French anti-fraud inspectors have been at the Comigel headquarters in Metz, north-east France.
Investigators were also at the offices of importer Spanghero, in the south of France, which brought the meat to France from Romania, via several other countries and agents.Investigators were also at the offices of importer Spanghero, in the south of France, which brought the meat to France from Romania, via several other countries and agents.
After Spanghero, the meat then went to a Comigel factory in Luxembourg, which made ready meals for Findus and retailers in 16 countries.After Spanghero, the meat then went to a Comigel factory in Luxembourg, which made ready meals for Findus and retailers in 16 countries.
Romania has rejected claims that it was responsible for wrongly describing horsemeat from its abattoirs as beef. Romania has rejected claims it was responsible for wrongly describing horsemeat from its abattoirs as beef.
Have you consumed the products which have been found to contain horse meat? Are you in the countries where the inspections are taking place? Please contact us using the form belowHave you consumed the products which have been found to contain horse meat? Are you in the countries where the inspections are taking place? Please contact us using the form below