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| Horsemeat tests 'will end this week' | Horsemeat tests 'will end this week' |
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| Supermarkets expect to complete the "vast majority" of tests for horsemeat on their products by Friday, retailers said after a meeting with the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, on Monday. | Supermarkets expect to complete the "vast majority" of tests for horsemeat on their products by Friday, retailers said after a meeting with the environment secretary, Owen Paterson, on Monday. |
| The supermarkets insisted they were doing all they could "to engage with consumers on the issue" after days of animosity between them and ministers. Downing Street complained last week that retailers had "remained silent" while customers had been misled on the content of their food, and they now face regular meetings with ministers. | The supermarkets insisted they were doing all they could "to engage with consumers on the issue" after days of animosity between them and ministers. Downing Street complained last week that retailers had "remained silent" while customers had been misled on the content of their food, and they now face regular meetings with ministers. |
| The promise that most of the remaining third of test results from checks ordered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) should be ready by the end of the week comes after results last Friday indicated that 29, or less than 2%, of 2,500 results delivered to the agency so far showed horsemeat adulteration of more than 1%. | The promise that most of the remaining third of test results from checks ordered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) should be ready by the end of the week comes after results last Friday indicated that 29, or less than 2%, of 2,500 results delivered to the agency so far showed horsemeat adulteration of more than 1%. |
| The government has continued to put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to restore consumer confidence and Paterson said businesses had assured him they would not rest until they had established what went wrong. | The government has continued to put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to restore consumer confidence and Paterson said businesses had assured him they would not rest until they had established what went wrong. |
| "There is still much to be done to find out exactly how this happened and how it can be prevented from happening again, and to do everything possible to reassure consumers about the food on our shelves," he said. The environment secretary said he would meet industry figures regularly to ensure consumers were getting sound products. "There was absolute determination in the industry to restore confidence in their products and I am pleased to say we look forward to meeting on a regular basis to absolutely make it clear that when consumers buy a product, they get what they bought." | "There is still much to be done to find out exactly how this happened and how it can be prevented from happening again, and to do everything possible to reassure consumers about the food on our shelves," he said. The environment secretary said he would meet industry figures regularly to ensure consumers were getting sound products. "There was absolute determination in the industry to restore confidence in their products and I am pleased to say we look forward to meeting on a regular basis to absolutely make it clear that when consumers buy a product, they get what they bought." |
| On Sunday Paterson asked the FSA to investigate claims that ministers were warned in 2011 that horsemeat was illegally entering the human food chain. That investigation was still under way last night. | On Sunday Paterson asked the FSA to investigate claims that ministers were warned in 2011 that horsemeat was illegally entering the human food chain. That investigation was still under way last night. |
| Helen Dickinson, director general of the British Retail Consortium, representing retailers, said: "The labs are working flat out and our members are confident that the vast majority of testing will be completed by Friday. We were very pleased that the Secretary of State recognised the hard work of retailers in progressing their testing programmes so quickly." | Helen Dickinson, director general of the British Retail Consortium, representing retailers, said: "The labs are working flat out and our members are confident that the vast majority of testing will be completed by Friday. We were very pleased that the Secretary of State recognised the hard work of retailers in progressing their testing programmes so quickly." |
| She insisted: "Our top priority is to continue to engage with our customers and reassure them that we have effective solutions to the issues that have come to light. Retailers are using every available channel for direct dialogue with their customers, from social and traditional media to answering questions in-store … It's clear that there will be things that need to change for the future as a result of these incidents." | She insisted: "Our top priority is to continue to engage with our customers and reassure them that we have effective solutions to the issues that have come to light. Retailers are using every available channel for direct dialogue with their customers, from social and traditional media to answering questions in-store … It's clear that there will be things that need to change for the future as a result of these incidents." |
| Mary Creagh, the shadow environment secretary, suggested the government was dragging its feet on its £70,000 sampling programme, announced this month. | Mary Creagh, the shadow environment secretary, suggested the government was dragging its feet on its £70,000 sampling programme, announced this month. |
| The FSA is not expecting to publish a detailed analysis for horse and pig DNA until April, even though only 224 samples are being taken in shops, supermarkets, caterers and wholesalers across 28 local authorities in the UK. | The FSA is not expecting to publish a detailed analysis for horse and pig DNA until April, even though only 224 samples are being taken in shops, supermarkets, caterers and wholesalers across 28 local authorities in the UK. |
| "It's totally unacceptable that the results of government tests for horsemeat won't be known until April," Creagh said. "We need to know how far this scandal has spread into the catering, independent retail and restaurant sectors. Ministers are swift to blame supermarkets but they are not responsible for horsemeat turning up in schools and hospitals." | "It's totally unacceptable that the results of government tests for horsemeat won't be known until April," Creagh said. "We need to know how far this scandal has spread into the catering, independent retail and restaurant sectors. Ministers are swift to blame supermarkets but they are not responsible for horsemeat turning up in schools and hospitals." |
| In France, the government has allowed a company at the heart of the scandal to restart part of its meat production operation. Spanghero has been accused of passing off horsemeat in meals labelled beef, but workers' leaders argued that unwitting staff should not be penalised. | In France, the government has allowed a company at the heart of the scandal to restart part of its meat production operation. Spanghero has been accused of passing off horsemeat in meals labelled beef, but workers' leaders argued that unwitting staff should not be penalised. |
| The company had its meat production licence partially restored, allowing it to produce minced meat and sausages and make ready-made dishes from fresh meat. But it must not handle, or make food from, frozen products. The suspension of the trading licence last week threatened to throw 300 staff out of work. | The company had its meat production licence partially restored, allowing it to produce minced meat and sausages and make ready-made dishes from fresh meat. But it must not handle, or make food from, frozen products. The suspension of the trading licence last week threatened to throw 300 staff out of work. |
| Unions at the Spanghero plant in Castelnaudary in the Aude region, had argued that the trading in meat products was separate from the production of food at the plant. Stephane Le Foll, the French agriculture minister said: "At this stage 80% of the (company's) stocks of all meat has been verified and the work is continuing on the remaining 20%. The report on the inquiry will be published on Friday, allowing partial production to resume. "Do you think I would authorise such an action, if I had the slightest doubt?" he asked French journalists. | Unions at the Spanghero plant in Castelnaudary in the Aude region, had argued that the trading in meat products was separate from the production of food at the plant. Stephane Le Foll, the French agriculture minister said: "At this stage 80% of the (company's) stocks of all meat has been verified and the work is continuing on the remaining 20%. The report on the inquiry will be published on Friday, allowing partial production to resume. "Do you think I would authorise such an action, if I had the slightest doubt?" he asked French journalists. |
| Greencore, the supplier of an Asda bolognese sauce taken off the supermarket chain's shelves last week, has restarted full production at its Bristol site after a "deep clean". | Greencore, the supplier of an Asda bolognese sauce taken off the supermarket chain's shelves last week, has restarted full production at its Bristol site after a "deep clean". |
| Greencore, which makes own label sandwiches and chilled convenience food for supermarkets, said all other products from the factory tested negative for equine DNA. | Greencore, which makes own label sandwiches and chilled convenience food for supermarkets, said all other products from the factory tested negative for equine DNA. |
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