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| Horsemeat scandal: EU ministers to hold crisis talks | Horsemeat scandal: EU ministers to hold crisis talks |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| EU agriculture ministers are to discuss the horsemeat scandal that has reportedly affected up to 16 countries. | EU agriculture ministers are to discuss the horsemeat scandal that has reportedly affected up to 16 countries. |
| Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney will chair the Brussels talks, which will seek ways to restore consumer confidence in meat products. | Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney will chair the Brussels talks, which will seek ways to restore consumer confidence in meat products. |
| This comes after the discovery that meat sold in Europe labelled as beef contained horsemeat. | This comes after the discovery that meat sold in Europe labelled as beef contained horsemeat. |
| On Tuesday, a slaughterhouse and a meat firm were raided by police in the UK probing alleged horsemeat mislabelling. | On Tuesday, a slaughterhouse and a meat firm were raided by police in the UK probing alleged horsemeat mislabelling. |
| UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said it was unacceptable if British firms were defrauding the public. | UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said it was unacceptable if British firms were defrauding the public. |
| The scandal has raised questions about the complexity of the food industry's supply chains across the 27-member EU bloc, with a number of supermarket chains withdrawing frozen beef meals. | The scandal has raised questions about the complexity of the food industry's supply chains across the 27-member EU bloc, with a number of supermarket chains withdrawing frozen beef meals. |
| In the UK, the supermarket giant Tesco, frozen food firm Findus and budget chain Aldi received horsemeat-tainted mince from Comigel, based in northeastern France. | In the UK, the supermarket giant Tesco, frozen food firm Findus and budget chain Aldi received horsemeat-tainted mince from Comigel, based in northeastern France. |
| Horsemeat has now been confirmed in some frozen lasagne on sale in France too. | Horsemeat has now been confirmed in some frozen lasagne on sale in France too. |
| Web of suppliers | Web of suppliers |
| Comigel denied wrongdoing, saying it had ordered the meat from Spanghero, a firm in southern France, via a Comigel subsidiary in Luxembourg - Tavola. | Comigel denied wrongdoing, saying it had ordered the meat from Spanghero, a firm in southern France, via a Comigel subsidiary in Luxembourg - Tavola. |
| The supply chain reportedly led back to traders in Cyprus and the Netherlands, then to abattoirs in Romania. | The supply chain reportedly led back to traders in Cyprus and the Netherlands, then to abattoirs in Romania. |
| There are now calls for more specific labelling on processed meat products in the EU, to show country of origin, as in the case of fresh meat. But the cost of doing that may trigger opposition from food manufacturers. | There are now calls for more specific labelling on processed meat products in the EU, to show country of origin, as in the case of fresh meat. But the cost of doing that may trigger opposition from food manufacturers. |
| Romania has denied claims that it was the source of the mislabelling of horsemeat. Bucharest says horsemeat that leaves the country has not been minced, and is labelled as horse. | Romania has denied claims that it was the source of the mislabelling of horsemeat. Bucharest says horsemeat that leaves the country has not been minced, and is labelled as horse. |
| The Kravys abattoir, named as the source of the Comigel meat, insists that its labelling is correct, with horsemeat and beef kept clearly apart. It exports horsemeat to Sweden, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Poland in its own trucks, the BBC's Nick Thorpe reports. | The Kravys abattoir, named as the source of the Comigel meat, insists that its labelling is correct, with horsemeat and beef kept clearly apart. It exports horsemeat to Sweden, the Netherlands, Bulgaria and Poland in its own trucks, the BBC's Nick Thorpe reports. |
| The abattoir is in Botosani, northeastern Romania, and slaughters 3-4,000 horses annually. | The abattoir is in Botosani, northeastern Romania, and slaughters 3-4,000 horses annually. |
| Agriculture ministers from the UK, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Sweden are expected to take part in the talks in Brussels, along with European Commission officials. | Agriculture ministers from the UK, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Sweden are expected to take part in the talks in Brussels, along with European Commission officials. |
| Retailers in some countries so far unaffected by the scandal have removed some processed foods from sale, as a precaution. That has been done in Germany and Switzerland. | Retailers in some countries so far unaffected by the scandal have removed some processed foods from sale, as a precaution. That has been done in Germany and Switzerland. |
| In the UK the supermarket chain Waitrose removed its Essential British Frozen Meatballs, labelled as beef, after pork was found in two batches. | In the UK the supermarket chain Waitrose removed its Essential British Frozen Meatballs, labelled as beef, after pork was found in two batches. |
| The EU meeting is an opportunity to exchange ideas on where the problem might have originated and how to stop it in the future, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports. | The EU meeting is an opportunity to exchange ideas on where the problem might have originated and how to stop it in the future, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports. |
| Tighter restrictions for the labelling of processed food are now in the pipeline, our correspondent adds. | Tighter restrictions for the labelling of processed food are now in the pipeline, our correspondent adds. |
| "We are looking at whether (such labelling) is possible... but nothing is fixed yet," said a spokesman for EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Tonio Borg. | "We are looking at whether (such labelling) is possible... but nothing is fixed yet," said a spokesman for EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Tonio Borg. |
| There are growing concerns that that a drug used to treat horses - and which is harmful to humans - could be in the food chain. | There are growing concerns that that a drug used to treat horses - and which is harmful to humans - could be in the food chain. |
| But EU officials say public health is not at stake, and the problem is instead one of mislabelling. | But EU officials say public health is not at stake, and the problem is instead one of mislabelling. |
| They say it is up to national regulators to take action. | They say it is up to national regulators to take action. |
CLICKABLE 8. Factories1. Comigel: Food processor3. Spanghero: Meat processor2. Tavola: Factory4. Subcontractor5. Trader6. Abattoirs7. Supermarkets French food producer makes order | CLICKABLE 8. Factories1. Comigel: Food processor3. Spanghero: Meat processor2. Tavola: Factory4. Subcontractor5. Trader6. Abattoirs7. Supermarkets French food producer makes order |
| Comigel HQ in Metz, north-east France, asks its subsidiary, Tavola in Luxembourg, to make food products - including beef lasagne for Findus. | Comigel HQ in Metz, north-east France, asks its subsidiary, Tavola in Luxembourg, to make food products - including beef lasagne for Findus. |
Factory orders meat | Factory orders meat |
| The Tavola factory orders the meat from Spanghero in the south of France. | The Tavola factory orders the meat from Spanghero in the south of France. |
Subcontractor used | Subcontractor used |
| Spanghero contacts a subcontractor in Cyprus to source the meat. | Spanghero contacts a subcontractor in Cyprus to source the meat. |
Subcontractor enlists trader | Subcontractor enlists trader |
| The Cypriot subcontractor in turn contacts a trader in the Netherlands. | The Cypriot subcontractor in turn contacts a trader in the Netherlands. |
Trader orders from Romania | Trader orders from Romania |
| The trader in the Netherlands places an order for meat with abattoirs in Romania. | The trader in the Netherlands places an order for meat with abattoirs in Romania. |
Abattoirs send meat to France | Abattoirs send meat to France |
| The meat from the abattoirs travels to Spanghero in France. However, Romania rejects claims that it was responsible for wrongly describing the horsemeat from its abattoirs as beef. Horsemeat is always labelled as such, they say. The Romanian authorities claim records show orders had been for horse carcass - easily distinguishable from beef. | The meat from the abattoirs travels to Spanghero in France. However, Romania rejects claims that it was responsible for wrongly describing the horsemeat from its abattoirs as beef. Horsemeat is always labelled as such, they say. The Romanian authorities claim records show orders had been for horse carcass - easily distinguishable from beef. |
Meat used to make products | Meat used to make products |
| Spanghero sends the meat to the Comigel subsidiary’s factory in Luxembourg before the finished products are supplied to Findus and retailers across Europe, including the UK. The president of Comigel says the company was unaware the meat was coming from abroad. | Spanghero sends the meat to the Comigel subsidiary’s factory in Luxembourg before the finished products are supplied to Findus and retailers across Europe, including the UK. The president of Comigel says the company was unaware the meat was coming from abroad. |
Horse DNA found in Ireland | Horse DNA found in Ireland |
| Horse DNA is also found in burgers from two processing plants in Ireland - Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods. Later, batches of stored meat containing horse DNA are discovered at Rangeland Foods in Ireland and at Freeza Meats in Newry, Northern Ireland. Both plants say none of the meat entered the food chain. | Horse DNA is also found in burgers from two processing plants in Ireland - Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods. Later, batches of stored meat containing horse DNA are discovered at Rangeland Foods in Ireland and at Freeza Meats in Newry, Northern Ireland. Both plants say none of the meat entered the food chain. |