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| Horsemeat row: Slaughterhouse and meat firm raided | Horsemeat row: Slaughterhouse and meat firm raided |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A slaughterhouse and a meat firm have been raided by police and officials probing alleged horsemeat mislabelling. | A slaughterhouse and a meat firm have been raided by police and officials probing alleged horsemeat mislabelling. |
| Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and Farmbox Meats Ltd, of Llandre near Aberystwyth, have had work suspended. | Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and Farmbox Meats Ltd, of Llandre near Aberystwyth, have had work suspended. |
| Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said it was unacceptable if UK firms were defrauding the public. | Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said it was unacceptable if UK firms were defrauding the public. |
| Meanwhile, Waitrose withdrew its Essential British Frozen Beef Meatballs after pork was detected in two batches. | Meanwhile, Waitrose withdrew its Essential British Frozen Beef Meatballs after pork was detected in two batches. |
| They are the latest product to be withdrawn from UK shelves. | They are the latest product to be withdrawn from UK shelves. |
| The Food Standards Agency suspended operations at both the raided premises, detained all meat found and seized paperwork, including customer lists from the two companies. | The Food Standards Agency suspended operations at both the raided premises, detained all meat found and seized paperwork, including customer lists from the two companies. |
| The West Yorkshire plant was thought to have supplied horse carcasses to the Aberystwyth plant, which were then allegedly sold on as beef for kebabs and burgers. | The West Yorkshire plant was thought to have supplied horse carcasses to the Aberystwyth plant, which were then allegedly sold on as beef for kebabs and burgers. |
| Both West Yorkshire and Dyfed-Powys police entered the premises with the FSA. | Both West Yorkshire and Dyfed-Powys police entered the premises with the FSA. |
| Until now, ministers have portrayed the horsemeat scandal as a labelling issue which emanated from the continent. | Until now, ministers have portrayed the horsemeat scandal as a labelling issue which emanated from the continent. |
| On the day Environment Secretary Owen Paterson yet again defended his handling of the crisis, the problem moved much closer to home. | On the day Environment Secretary Owen Paterson yet again defended his handling of the crisis, the problem moved much closer to home. |
| The raids on British firms in the investigations of alleged mislabelling will certainly pile further pressure on Mr Paterson to calm fears. | The raids on British firms in the investigations of alleged mislabelling will certainly pile further pressure on Mr Paterson to calm fears. |
| While he has talked of criminal elements being involved, the finger so far has been pointed at culprits elsewhere in Europe for causing products here to be contaminated. | While he has talked of criminal elements being involved, the finger so far has been pointed at culprits elsewhere in Europe for causing products here to be contaminated. |
| There will be more questions for the independent regulator, the Food Standards Agency, about its role in food safety. | There will be more questions for the independent regulator, the Food Standards Agency, about its role in food safety. |
| Neither the FSA nor Defra can yet give clear assurances to consumers who are worried about the provenance of the products they eat, although they insist there is not a health risk. | Neither the FSA nor Defra can yet give clear assurances to consumers who are worried about the provenance of the products they eat, although they insist there is not a health risk. |
| Q&A: Horsemeat scandal | Q&A: Horsemeat scandal |
| Peter Boddy said he was co-operating with the FSA officers. | Peter Boddy said he was co-operating with the FSA officers. |
| "It was not a raid - they are welcome to visit whenever they want, they just wanted to see my records which I will be showing them," he said. | "It was not a raid - they are welcome to visit whenever they want, they just wanted to see my records which I will be showing them," he said. |
| He confirmed he slaughters horses at his plant and that the meat is sold in the UK. | He confirmed he slaughters horses at his plant and that the meat is sold in the UK. |
| Dafydd Raw Rees of Farmbox Meats said he had a licensed red meat cutting plant and had been in operation for three years. | Dafydd Raw Rees of Farmbox Meats said he had a licensed red meat cutting plant and had been in operation for three years. |
| "I've been cutting horse meat for three and a half weeks," he said. | "I've been cutting horse meat for three and a half weeks," he said. |
| "The meat comes from Ireland. A consignment came in this morning as the FSA arrived." | "The meat comes from Ireland. A consignment came in this morning as the FSA arrived." |
| "There is nothing we have done here which is not totally permissible." | "There is nothing we have done here which is not totally permissible." |
| Mr Paterson said of the latest developments: "It's totally unacceptable if any business in the UK is defrauding the public by passing off horsemeat as beef. | Mr Paterson said of the latest developments: "It's totally unacceptable if any business in the UK is defrauding the public by passing off horsemeat as beef. |
| "I expect the full force of the law to be brought down on anyone involved in this kind of activity." | "I expect the full force of the law to be brought down on anyone involved in this kind of activity." |
| 'Integrity essential' | 'Integrity essential' |
| FSA director of operations Andrew Rhodes said: "I ordered an audit of all horse-producing abattoirs in the UK after this issue first arose last month, and I was shocked to uncover what appears to be a blatant misleading of consumers. | |
| "I have suspended both plants immediately while our investigations continue." | "I have suspended both plants immediately while our investigations continue." |
| The Welsh minister for agriculture, Alun Davies, said: "Integrity and trust are essential in the food chain. I would be appalled if these allegations are proven. | The Welsh minister for agriculture, Alun Davies, said: "Integrity and trust are essential in the food chain. I would be appalled if these allegations are proven. |
| "The Welsh government is working closely with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the FSA to ensure this matter is dealt with swiftly and decisively." | "The Welsh government is working closely with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the FSA to ensure this matter is dealt with swiftly and decisively." |
| The latest developments came as Mr Paterson held another meeting with the FSA, supermarkets and food producers to discuss the spreading horsemeat contamination scandal. | The latest developments came as Mr Paterson held another meeting with the FSA, supermarkets and food producers to discuss the spreading horsemeat contamination scandal. |
| He told MPs during a Commons debate earlier that "too much is taken on trust" when it comes to verifying meat supplies. | He told MPs during a Commons debate earlier that "too much is taken on trust" when it comes to verifying meat supplies. |
| Labour's Mary Creagh welcomed the FSA and police action. | Labour's Mary Creagh welcomed the FSA and police action. |
| The raids uncovered the first suspected instance of a UK abattoir passing off horsemeat for beef, Mr Paterson said. | The raids uncovered the first suspected instance of a UK abattoir passing off horsemeat for beef, Mr Paterson said. |
| It came after the National Beef Association (NBA) suggested the addition of the words "United Kingdom origin" to packaging to prevent "further cheating" by suppliers on the Continent. | It came after the National Beef Association (NBA) suggested the addition of the words "United Kingdom origin" to packaging to prevent "further cheating" by suppliers on the Continent. |
| The scandal has spread across Europe as details of the elaborate supply chain in the meat industry emerge. | The scandal has spread across Europe as details of the elaborate supply chain in the meat industry emerge. |
| Batches withdrawn | Batches withdrawn |
| French consumer safety authorities said companies from Romania, Cyprus and the Netherlands, as well as its own firms, were involved. | French consumer safety authorities said companies from Romania, Cyprus and the Netherlands, as well as its own firms, were involved. |
| Mr Paterson will travel to Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the scandal with counterparts in EU countries. | Mr Paterson will travel to Brussels on Wednesday to discuss the scandal with counterparts in EU countries. |
| At Waitrose, a spokeswoman said it had had "contradictory results" from tests on the frozen beef meatballs. | At Waitrose, a spokeswoman said it had had "contradictory results" from tests on the frozen beef meatballs. |
| She said all had tested negative for horse DNA, but one test had indicated the presence of some pork. | She said all had tested negative for horse DNA, but one test had indicated the presence of some pork. |
| "We have withdrawn two batches of these products as pork is not listed as a product in the recipe." | "We have withdrawn two batches of these products as pork is not listed as a product in the recipe." |
| The products are 480g packs of 16 meatballs with a best before date of the end of June 2013 and the end of August 2013. | The products are 480g packs of 16 meatballs with a best before date of the end of June 2013 and the end of August 2013. |