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Horsemeat scandal: Scottish meat brand 'must be protected' Horsemeat scandal: Scottish meat sales rise, says minister Lochhead
(about 4 hours later)
The good brand image of Scottish meat must be protected amid the scandal of horsemeat entering the food chain, the rural affairs minister has said. Scottish meat sales have increased since the start of the horsemeat scandal because of its reputation for quality, Scots ministers have said.
Richard Lochhead was speaking after a meeting in London between the UK government, devolved administrations and major supermarket chains. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said sales at some butchers were up by more than a fifth, while processing firms had reported increased orders.
He said there was no evidence the scandal was an issue in Scotland. Mr Lochhead also told the Holyrood parliament there was no evidence the scandal was an issue in Scotland.
Mr Lochhead is due to make a statement on the horsemeat issue when he goes before MSPs at Holyrood later. He said work was under way to keep horsemeat out of the food chain.
The minister said there was no room for complacency when it came to the testing of food supplies. The scandal emerged in mid-January, when Irish food inspectors announced they had found traces of horsemeat in some frozen beefburgers stocked by UK supermarkets, including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl.
Following his meeting in London, Mr Lochhead said: "I highlighted that in my view there is an absolute need for supply chains to be shorter and easier to track and for high quality local produce to be used whenever possible. The latest development has seen Nestle, the world's biggest food company, remove beef pasta meals from shelves in Italy and Spain after tests revealed traces of horse DNA.
"What was very clear was that everyone in the room wants to resolve this issue as quickly as possible so that consumers regain the confidence and trust they have always had in Scottish and UK food providers. In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Lochhead said: "There's clear evidence that people are looking for providence in the Scotch brand, which is associated with traceability and quality.
"As testing continues it is reassuring that the vast majority of tests being carried out are negative for horse meat. However, we cannot be complacent and a precautionary approach will continue to be taken." "Some butchers are reporting sales up by more than a fifth since this crisis started and meat processing companies in Scotland are also reporting increased orders for Scotch beef."
Mr Lochhead said Scotland's world-renowned Scotch beef brand must be promoted and protected, and he also urged retailers to source meat "closer to home".
He told MSPs: "Fortunately, we do not have the complex, sometimes murky web of supply chains stretching across Europe.
"We have farmers with traceability systems for their meat through the Scotch label, and that's why many customers are realising they can trust the Scotch label when buying meat."
Mr Lochhead said the Food Standards Agency in Scotland was working with the Scottish government to prevent horsemeat entering the food chain.
He said: "In Scotland, there is no slaughtering of horses for human consumption and no food manufacturing firm has been implicated in the horsemeat scandal and the illegal substitution of meat.
"Indeed, all the evidence points to the affected meat originating outwith Scotland.
"It's also important to note that to date, this is an issue of food fraud, with no evidence of any implications for human health."
The minister added: "We have also taken steps to check no horsemeat is present in the food provided to our schools, hospitals and prisons.
"Assurances have been sought across all those who supply food to the public sector in Scotland."
Mr Lochhead said the Scottish government was also continuing to advance plans for a stand-alone, Scottish food standards body.