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| Furor Over Use of Horse Meat Grows in Britain Despite Testing | Furor Over Use of Horse Meat Grows in Britain Despite Testing |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| LONDON — Battling to contain the mounting crisis over horse meat in products labeled as beef, Britain’s food safety agency said Friday that more than 2,500 tests conducted by the food industry had shown that just 29 samples contained more than 1 percent horse meat. | LONDON — Battling to contain the mounting crisis over horse meat in products labeled as beef, Britain’s food safety agency said Friday that more than 2,500 tests conducted by the food industry had shown that just 29 samples contained more than 1 percent horse meat. |
| Still, only about 25 percent of beef products have been tested, and each day more are being withdrawn from supermarkets, restaurants and schools. Meanwhile, the authorities acknowledged that horse meat had been discovered in meals destined for schools, and three more “premises” were raided by British officials investigating the possibility of fraud. | Still, only about 25 percent of beef products have been tested, and each day more are being withdrawn from supermarkets, restaurants and schools. Meanwhile, the authorities acknowledged that horse meat had been discovered in meals destined for schools, and three more “premises” were raided by British officials investigating the possibility of fraud. |
| Initially viewed as an issue of fraud and mislabeling, the crisis deepened Thursday when it emerged that a powerful equine painkiller — phenylbutazone, or bute — might have entered the food chain. In Brussels on Friday, officials discussed plans to step up testing for traces of horse meat and phenylbutazone. The first round of tests, to be carried out by the end of March, will be reported to the bloc’s executive body, the European Commission, by April 15, said Ireland’s minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Simon Coveney. | Initially viewed as an issue of fraud and mislabeling, the crisis deepened Thursday when it emerged that a powerful equine painkiller — phenylbutazone, or bute — might have entered the food chain. In Brussels on Friday, officials discussed plans to step up testing for traces of horse meat and phenylbutazone. The first round of tests, to be carried out by the end of March, will be reported to the bloc’s executive body, the European Commission, by April 15, said Ireland’s minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Simon Coveney. |
| In England, the Lancashire County Council said it had withdrawn cottage pies — ground beef topped with mashed potatoes — from 47 school kitchens after the prepared product had provisionally tested positive for traces of horse DNA. The pies had come from an external supplier, the council said. | In England, the Lancashire County Council said it had withdrawn cottage pies — ground beef topped with mashed potatoes — from 47 school kitchens after the prepared product had provisionally tested positive for traces of horse DNA. The pies had come from an external supplier, the council said. |
| The British Food Standards Agency, or F.S.A., said Friday that two locations in London and one in the northern city of Hull had been raided the day before. “Computers and documentary evidence have been removed from these premises, as well as meat samples that have been taken for testing,” it said. Arrests have been made at a Yorkshire slaughterhouse and a meat processor in Wales. | |
| Catherine Brown, chief executive of the F.S.A., said the results of the industry’s tests so far “show that the overwhelming majority of beef products in this country do not contain horse.” | Catherine Brown, chief executive of the F.S.A., said the results of the industry’s tests so far “show that the overwhelming majority of beef products in this country do not contain horse.” |
| “These examples we have had are totally unacceptable,” she said. “But they are the exceptions.” | “These examples we have had are totally unacceptable,” she said. “But they are the exceptions.” |
| Because products like beef lasagna are sold in packs of different sizes, companies often conducted more than one test on the same line and, in all, seven different products were involved. All had already been recalled. | Because products like beef lasagna are sold in packs of different sizes, companies often conducted more than one test on the same line and, in all, seven different products were involved. All had already been recalled. |
| Whitbread, a company that owns restaurants, pubs and hotels, said Friday that some of the hamburger and lasagna products in its supplies had tested positive for horse DNA and had been withdrawn from sale. | Whitbread, a company that owns restaurants, pubs and hotels, said Friday that some of the hamburger and lasagna products in its supplies had tested positive for horse DNA and had been withdrawn from sale. |
| “We are shocked and disappointed at this failure of the processed-meat supply chain,” the company said by e-mail. The two products were not included in the F.S.A.’s list of seven tainted items. | “We are shocked and disappointed at this failure of the processed-meat supply chain,” the company said by e-mail. The two products were not included in the F.S.A.’s list of seven tainted items. |
| Meanwhile, the Asda supermarket chain said that it had found horse meat in unfrozen Bolognese sauce, marking the first time a nonfrozen product was pulled. The company said it was also pulling three other nonfrozen products off its shelves: another meat sauce for pasta, a beef broth soup and a chili con carne soup. It said that it was acting as a precaution and that it had not received positive test results for horse DNA in those products. | Meanwhile, the Asda supermarket chain said that it had found horse meat in unfrozen Bolognese sauce, marking the first time a nonfrozen product was pulled. The company said it was also pulling three other nonfrozen products off its shelves: another meat sauce for pasta, a beef broth soup and a chili con carne soup. It said that it was acting as a precaution and that it had not received positive test results for horse DNA in those products. |