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| Horsemeat scandal: schools caterer suspends all frozen beef products | Horsemeat scandal: schools caterer suspends all frozen beef products |
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| One of the largest private catering businesses in Britain, which provides food for public services including the armed forces, schools, care homes and prisons, has withdrawn all frozen beef products across most of its business following the discovery of horse DNA in one of the samples it had tested. | One of the largest private catering businesses in Britain, which provides food for public services including the armed forces, schools, care homes and prisons, has withdrawn all frozen beef products across most of its business following the discovery of horse DNA in one of the samples it had tested. |
| Sodexo, which boasts of working on 2,300 sites in the UK and Ireland, declined to name the supplier of the beef product which tested positive for horse DNA and would not say if it was a British or Irish manufacturer. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the Sodexo lines affected included beef burgers, minced beef and halal minced beef. | Sodexo, which boasts of working on 2,300 sites in the UK and Ireland, declined to name the supplier of the beef product which tested positive for horse DNA and would not say if it was a British or Irish manufacturer. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the Sodexo lines affected included beef burgers, minced beef and halal minced beef. |
| Birds Eye also announced the "precautionary" withdrawal of three lines on Friday. | Birds Eye also announced the "precautionary" withdrawal of three lines on Friday. |
| The discoveries are likely to stoke the political storm surrounding the horsemeat scandal, which shows no sign of abating.Labour has repeatedly expressed concern over the fact that retailers and manufacturers appear to be reporting results more quickly and fully than caterers. The catering at Ascot Racecourse, which hosts Royal Ascot - attended each year by the Queen - is run by Sodexo Prestige, according to the firm's website. | The discoveries are likely to stoke the political storm surrounding the horsemeat scandal, which shows no sign of abating.Labour has repeatedly expressed concern over the fact that retailers and manufacturers appear to be reporting results more quickly and fully than caterers. The catering at Ascot Racecourse, which hosts Royal Ascot - attended each year by the Queen - is run by Sodexo Prestige, according to the firm's website. |
| The Department for Education called the incident "a serious and unacceptable breach of trust". | The Department for Education called the incident "a serious and unacceptable breach of trust". |
| Schools and councils were responsible for their food contracts, it said. "We expect all schools to ensure they have rigorous procurement procedures in place. If headteachers have any concerns they should contact the FSA, their caterers or local authority immediately." | Schools and councils were responsible for their food contracts, it said. "We expect all schools to ensure they have rigorous procurement procedures in place. If headteachers have any concerns they should contact the FSA, their caterers or local authority immediately." |
| The Department of Health in England added: "It is unacceptable that anyone should have been eating meat that is not what it says on the label. All hospitals should be assuring themselves and patients that the food they are serving is what they say it is." | The Department of Health in England added: "It is unacceptable that anyone should have been eating meat that is not what it says on the label. All hospitals should be assuring themselves and patients that the food they are serving is what they say it is." |
| Seodexo, which is a French company, supplied three private prisons, Forest Bank in Manchester, Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, and Peterborough, said the Ministry of Justice. | Seodexo, which is a French company, supplied three private prisons, Forest Bank in Manchester, Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, and Peterborough, said the Ministry of Justice. |
| In a statement, Sodexo said the horse DNA was "unacceptable" given "repeated assurances from our suppliers". It added: "We felt the only appropriate response was to withdraw not only this product but all frozen beef products. We will only re-admit into our catering operations products that have affirmatively passed DNA testing, pursuant to laboratory test criteria. | In a statement, Sodexo said the horse DNA was "unacceptable" given "repeated assurances from our suppliers". It added: "We felt the only appropriate response was to withdraw not only this product but all frozen beef products. We will only re-admit into our catering operations products that have affirmatively passed DNA testing, pursuant to laboratory test criteria. |
| "We have notified the FSA of our findings and will assist fully in its investigation. We have also launched our own investigation to understand how this regrettable situation arose." | "We have notified the FSA of our findings and will assist fully in its investigation. We have also launched our own investigation to understand how this regrettable situation arose." |
| The firm said its Tillery Valley Foods business supplying the health sector was unaffected. | The firm said its Tillery Valley Foods business supplying the health sector was unaffected. |
| Mary Creagh, Labour's environment spokesman, said: "The government must ensure that catering firms speed up their tests and tell the public what they are testing, so that we know just how far this horsemeat scandal has spread through our communities. It is deeply worrying that it has taken Sodexo, who supply schools, hospitals and the armed forces, several weeks to test for and discover horse in its beef products. | Mary Creagh, Labour's environment spokesman, said: "The government must ensure that catering firms speed up their tests and tell the public what they are testing, so that we know just how far this horsemeat scandal has spread through our communities. It is deeply worrying that it has taken Sodexo, who supply schools, hospitals and the armed forces, several weeks to test for and discover horse in its beef products. |
| "Councils, schools and hospitals must have total confidence in their meat suppliers – and the government's advice that they should simply ask big catering companies for reassurance is totally ineffective." | "Councils, schools and hospitals must have total confidence in their meat suppliers – and the government's advice that they should simply ask big catering companies for reassurance is totally ineffective." |
| Sodexo describes itself as "the UK's largest event caterer and provider of corporate hospitality packages". The FSA reported that six products had tested positive for DNA in the second round for industry-led tests for horsemeat DNA. It said all these cases had already been reported. The figures mean that, in all, 13 products have returned positive from a total of 3,634 results reported. | Sodexo describes itself as "the UK's largest event caterer and provider of corporate hospitality packages". The FSA reported that six products had tested positive for DNA in the second round for industry-led tests for horsemeat DNA. It said all these cases had already been reported. The figures mean that, in all, 13 products have returned positive from a total of 3,634 results reported. |
| Retailers say they have completed about 90% of tests; manufacturers, caterers and wholesalers indicated they had completed around 80% of their tests. This included, said the agency, all the major suppliers to schools, hospitals and other public institutions. | Retailers say they have completed about 90% of tests; manufacturers, caterers and wholesalers indicated they had completed around 80% of their tests. This included, said the agency, all the major suppliers to schools, hospitals and other public institutions. |
| Earlier Birds Eye withdrew three beef ready-meals from sale in the UK and Ireland - Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese 340g, Shepherd's Pie 400g and Beef Lasagne 400g lines – because they were made by the Belgian company Frigilunch, responsible for a chili con carne made for the Belgian market containing 2% equine DNA. | Earlier Birds Eye withdrew three beef ready-meals from sale in the UK and Ireland - Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese 340g, Shepherd's Pie 400g and Beef Lasagne 400g lines – because they were made by the Belgian company Frigilunch, responsible for a chili con carne made for the Belgian market containing 2% equine DNA. |
| Schools in Scotland have been told not to serve frozen beefburgers after one tested positive in a North Lanarkshire school kitchen, while in Wales supplies to some schools in seven local authorities have been withdrawn because they were linked to the Burger Manufacturing Company (BMC) in Powys, Wales. Samples taken there had tested positive for horse DNA in burgers using meat from Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, a plant raided by police and FSA officials investigating the horsemeat scandal on Tuesday last week. | Schools in Scotland have been told not to serve frozen beefburgers after one tested positive in a North Lanarkshire school kitchen, while in Wales supplies to some schools in seven local authorities have been withdrawn because they were linked to the Burger Manufacturing Company (BMC) in Powys, Wales. Samples taken there had tested positive for horse DNA in burgers using meat from Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, a plant raided by police and FSA officials investigating the horsemeat scandal on Tuesday last week. |
| In Ireland, the government has suspended all operations at B&F Meats in Co Tipperary, saying it had despatched horsemeat to a customer in the Czech Republic via a UK-based trader, not named by authorities, using a label in Czech which, when translated, referred to beef. | In Ireland, the government has suspended all operations at B&F Meats in Co Tipperary, saying it had despatched horsemeat to a customer in the Czech Republic via a UK-based trader, not named by authorities, using a label in Czech which, when translated, referred to beef. |
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