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| Three held in horsemeat mislabelling investigation | Three held in horsemeat mislabelling investigation |
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| Police investigating allegations that horsemeat was mislabelled as beef have arrested three men on suspicion of offences under the Fraud Act. | |
| Two men, aged 64 and 42, were held at Farmbox Meats Ltd, of Llandre near Aberystwyth, said Dyfed-Powys Police. | |
| A 63-year-old was arrested at the Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. | A 63-year-old was arrested at the Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. |
| Both companies have strenuously denied any wrongdoing. | |
| The Food Standards Agency suspended operations at both sites after raids at the premises on Tuesday. | The Food Standards Agency suspended operations at both sites after raids at the premises on Tuesday. |
| It also seized meat found on the premises as well as paperwork, including customer lists from the two companies. | |
| The West Yorkshire plant is reported to have supplied horse carcasses to the Aberystwyth plant, which were then allegedly sold on as beef for kebabs and burgers. | |
| One of the men arrested at Farmbox Meats is believed to be the firm's owner Dafydd Raw Rees, the BBC understands. | |
| Concerns about horsemeat first came to light on 15 January when tests by Irish authorities found horsemeat in beefburgers made by firms in the Irish Republic and the UK and sold in supermarket chains including Tesco and Aldi. | |
| A growing number of UK retailers have since recalled processed beef products found to contain horsemeat. And last week the British unit of frozen foods giant Findus started to recall its beef lasagne on advice from its French supplier, Comigel, after tests showed concentrations of horsemeat. | |
| The three arrests came as the FSA said that tests found eight horses, killed in the UK, tested positive for the painkiller bute and six may have entered the food chain in France. | |
| But England's chief medical officer said the highest level detected posed "very little risk to human health". | |
| The prime minister's spokesman said the UK was working closely with the French authorities to track the carcasses. | |
| FSA rules which came into force this week mean all horsemeat in the UK will be tested for bute before it is allowed to be sold for food. | |
| In other developments: | |
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