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| Horsemeat scandal: EU experts to draw up test plans | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Food safety experts from across Europe are due to meet in Brussels to address the scandal over mislabelled horsemeat. | |
| The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain will draw up plans for large-scale testing of beef products to check if they contain horse DNA. | The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain will draw up plans for large-scale testing of beef products to check if they contain horse DNA. |
| On Thursday the French government suspended the licence of processing firm Spanghero, saying it had "knowingly" sold horsemeat as beef. | On Thursday the French government suspended the licence of processing firm Spanghero, saying it had "knowingly" sold horsemeat as beef. |
| In the UK three people were arrested for suspected fraud in meat sales. | In the UK three people were arrested for suspected fraud in meat sales. |
| The widening scandal has affected at least 12 countries and raised questions about the complexity of the food industry's supply chains across Europe. | The widening scandal has affected at least 12 countries and raised questions about the complexity of the food industry's supply chains across Europe. |
| The previously little-known committee is suddenly the focus of attention, and the plans it comes up with could eventually have a huge impact on consumer confidence in the food being eaten in Europe, the BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels says. | The previously little-known committee is suddenly the focus of attention, and the plans it comes up with could eventually have a huge impact on consumer confidence in the food being eaten in Europe, the BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels says. |
| The experts from all 27 EU countries will try to devise accurate random tests to determine the scale of the mislabelling of horsemeat. | |
| They will also draw up plans for separate tests to assess the scale of contamination with phenylbutazone or "bute" - a veterinary medicine considered potentially harmful to humans. | |
| Their proposals will still have to be approved by EU ministers. | Their proposals will still have to be approved by EU ministers. |
| 'Conspiracy' | 'Conspiracy' |
| The scale of the crisis was underlined on Thursday in France, where ministers said they believed the sale of horsemeat labelled as beef went on for six months and involved about 750 tonnes of meat. | The scale of the crisis was underlined on Thursday in France, where ministers said they believed the sale of horsemeat labelled as beef went on for six months and involved about 750 tonnes of meat. |
| The French government accused meat processing firm Spanghero of knowingly mislabelling horsemeat as beef and suspended its licence pending further investigation. | The French government accused meat processing firm Spanghero of knowingly mislabelling horsemeat as beef and suspended its licence pending further investigation. |
| The company has strongly denied the allegation, saying it only ever dealt in meat it believed to be beef. | The company has strongly denied the allegation, saying it only ever dealt in meat it believed to be beef. |
| Spanghero imported meat from Romania and sold it on to another company, Comigel, which made frozen ready meals at its factory in Luxembourg for further distribution. | Spanghero imported meat from Romania and sold it on to another company, Comigel, which made frozen ready meals at its factory in Luxembourg for further distribution. |
| Millions of processed meat products have been withdrawn from supermarket shelves across the EU. | Millions of processed meat products have been withdrawn from supermarket shelves across the EU. |
| The UK has asked the European investigative agency Europol to co-ordinate a continent-wide investigation into an alleged international conspiracy to pass horsemeat off as beef. | |
| In the UK on Thursday, a fresh beef product was withdrawn from sale for the first time over fears that it contained horse DNA. | |
| Also on Thursday, Britain's Food Standard Agency (FSA) said tests on eight horses that were killed in the UK had tested positive for bute, and meat from six of them 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". | But England's chief medical officer said the highest level detected posed "very little risk to human health". |
CLICKABLE 8. Processors1. Comigel: Food processor3. Spanghero: Meat processor2. Tavola: Factory4. Subcontractor5. Trader6. Abattoirs7. Supermarkets French food producer makes order | CLICKABLE 8. Processors1. 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. |
Horsemeat found in Ireland and UK | Horsemeat found in Ireland and UK |
| Tests by Irish authorities have found equine DNA in beefburgers made by firms in the Irish Republic and the UK. Traces of horsemeat have also been found in stored meat at another plant in Ireland and one in Northern Ireland. In mainland Britain, police and officials probing alleged horsemeat mislabelling have carried out raids at a slaughterhouse in West Yorkshire and a meat firm near Aberystwyth. | Tests by Irish authorities have found equine DNA in beefburgers made by firms in the Irish Republic and the UK. Traces of horsemeat have also been found in stored meat at another plant in Ireland and one in Northern Ireland. In mainland Britain, police and officials probing alleged horsemeat mislabelling have carried out raids at a slaughterhouse in West Yorkshire and a meat firm near Aberystwyth. |