Tesco's been horsing about

[Gob]

Horse DNA has been found in some beefburgers being sold in UK and Irish supermarkets, the Republic of Ireland's food safety authority (FSAI) has said.

The FSAI said the meat came from two processing plants in Ireland, Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods, and the Dalepak Hambleton plant in Yorkshire.

It said there was no risk to health.

The burgers were on sale in Tesco and Iceland in the UK and Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland they were on sale in Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Aldi.

The FSAI said the retailers stated that they were removing all implicated batches of the burgers.

A total of 27 products were analysed, with 10 of them containing horse DNA and 23 containing pig DNA.

Horsemeat accounted for approximately 29% of the meat content in one sample from Tesco.

In addition, 31 beef meal products, including cottage pie, beef curry pie and lasagne, were analysed, of which 21 tested positive for pig DNA.

The chief executive of the FSAI, Professor Alan Reilly, said that while the findings posed no risk to public health, they did raise some concerns.

"Whilst, there is a plausible explanation for the presence of pig DNA in these products due to the fact that meat from different animals is processed in the same meat plants, there is no clear explanation at this time for the presence of horse DNA in products emanating from meat plants that do not use horsemeat in their production process," he said.

"In Ireland, it is not in our culture to eat horsemeat and therefore, we do not expect to find it in a burger," Prof Reilly added.

"Likewise, for some religious groups or people who abstain from eating pig meat, the presence of traces of pig DNA is unacceptable."

The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, said he was concerned by the FSAI's findings, and had sent government vets into the factory that produced the 29% horsemeat burger to interview management.

He reassured the public that the burgers posed no health risk and added that the Republic of Ireland "probably has the best traceability and food safety in the world".

Tesco's group technical director, Tim Smith, said his company was informed of the test results by the FSAI on Tuesday and they "immediately withdrew from sale all products from the supplier in question".

In Tesco's case, two frozen beefburger products that are sold in both the UK and Ireland were found to contain horse DNA.

In a statement, Mr Smith said: "The safety and quality of our food is of the highest importance to Tesco. We will not tolerate any compromise in the quality of the food we sell. The presence of illegal meat in our products is extremely serious."

He added that Tesco was "working with the authorities in Ireland and the UK, and with the supplier concerned, to urgently understand how this has happened and how to ensure it does not happen again".
'Quality'

Iceland said it has "withdrawn from sale the two Iceland brand quarter pounder burger lines implicated in the study".

In a statement, the company said it noted the FSAI's findings "with concern" and "would be working closely with its suppliers to investigate this issue and to ensure that all Iceland brand products meet the high standards of quality and integrity that we specify and which our customers are entitled to expect".

Aldi said only one of its products - which is only on sale in the Republic of Ireland - was affected.

In a statement, Aldi Stores (Ireland) said: "Following notification this afternoon from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) of an issue in relation to our Oakhurst Beef Burgers (8 pack) we have immediately removed the product from sale and have launched an investigation into the matter."

The company said it "takes the quality of all its products extremely seriously and demands the highest standards from its suppliers".

Lidl was not immediately available for comment when contacted by the BBC.

Meanwhile, Silvercrest Foods and Dalepak both said they had never bought or traded in horse product and have launched an investigation into two continental European third party suppliers.

[Sub Human]

Reading "A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones" has given me a hankerin' for Horsemeat, honeyed mice and other odd delicacies. Not available at the local butcher AFAIK

Also: I think George R.R.Martin uses the word "onion" more than the word "sword" in his five book epic.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Caught a mouse in my shed yesterday, want me to send it to you?
I don't have a recipe though.

[Gob]

I went to tesco in store cafe yesterday and asked for the burger. 'Want anything on that?' the woman asked...Yeah a fiver each way.

I went to tesco in store cafe yesterday and asked for the burger. Lady brought it over to my table, and after eating it I had a sore throat. Turned out she'd made me a little horse

Tesco's award winning burgers. Awards include the Grand National and the Queen Anne Stakes.

Due to the closure of HMV and Blockbuster, you can now buy Steven Spielberg's 'War Horse'......at the food section in Tesco's.

I tried those burgers and didn't like em much - I prefer my Lidl Pony...

If you like their burgers you should try the meatballs, they're the dogs bollocks

There are rumours that those burgers where sexually assaulted before being sold. Prime suspect is Jimmy Saddle.

I went to Tesco today for some Bacardi, some Captain Morgan and some beefburgers. Came away with white rum, dark rum and a bit of red rum.

Horse meat in the burgers...what were the odds on that?

"Tesco's burgers - low in fat but high in Shergar"

Anyone noticed that Camilla is missing?

I just checked the Tesco burgers I have in my fridge. And they're off!

I had a tesco burger last night, it gave me the trots.

Dentists are recommending not to eat Tesco burgers, someone got a bit between their teeth.

[Gob]

[rubato]

Horsemeat sushi is a special delicacy reserved for honored guests in Japan.





Ok, they're not supermen after all. Yuck!



yrs,
rubato

[Gob]

The presence of horsemeat in value beefburgers has caused a furore. But what is usually in the patties?

It has been a sobering week for fans of the beefburger.

Tesco have used full-page adverts in national newspapers to apologise for selling burgers in the UK that were found to contain 29% horsemeat. Traces of horse DNA were also detected by the Food Standards Agency of Ireland in products sold by Iceland, Lidl, Aldi and Dunnes.

But a beefburger rarely contains 100% beef.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has two classifications for burger products - standard and economy.

A standard beefburger can only be classified as such if it comprises a minimum of 62% beef. Similarly, a chicken (or other poultry) or rabbit burger must contain a minimum of 55% meat, and a pork burger 67% minimum pig meat.

The percentages take a tumble when it comes to economy or "value" burger products.

An economy beefburger must contain 47% meat, a chicken burger 41% and a pork burger 50% pig meat.

Under European law, the term "meat" is defined as "skeletal muscle with naturally included or adherent fat and connective tissue" which has not been mechanically stripped from the carcass.

Any meat that has been pressure-blasted from the carcass must be listed separately as MRM (mechanically removed) or MSM (mechanically stripped) meat. MRM meat or paste can in theory be used in economy burgers but has to be listed as a separate ingredient.

An eight-pack of Tesco Everyday Value Beefburgers, one of the products cited as potentially containing horse flesh, contains 63% beef, 10% onion and unlisted percentages of wheat flour, water, beef fat, soya protein isolate, salt, onion powder, yeast, sugar, barley malt extract, garlic powder, white pepper extract, celery extract and onion extract.

Asda's Smartprice Economy Beefburgers - not among those identified by the Irish testers as containing horse or pig DNA - contain 59% beef along with other ingredients such as rusk, water, stabilisers (diphosphates and triphosphates) and beef fat.

Both products cost just £1 a box, as do similar frozen burgers sold by Iceland. The Oakhurst 100% Beef Quarter Pounders, sold by Aldi and implicated in the scandal, cost £1.39 for a box of eight.

But should people be surprised at all these extra ingredients cropping up in a beefburger?

Writing in the Times, food critic Giles Coren bemoaned the public's lack of knowledge about what is in their food. "What on earth did you think they put in them? Prime cuts of delicious free-range, organic, rare breed, heritage beef, grass-fed, Eton-educated, humanely slaughtered, dry-aged [beef], hand-ground by fairies...?"

"You get what you pay for," wrote Felicity Lawrence in the Guardian.

"The only surprise about the latest adulteration scandal, in which beefburgers at rock bottom prices turn out to contain horsemeat and traces of pig, is perhaps that they contain meat at all."

Daily Mail food journalist Joanna Blythman blames the "sheer massiveness" of the supermarket food chain, which she claims is "bound to lead to corners cut and standards compromised".

This whole episode raises an obvious question - do people care what goes into their food?

Rose Prince, a food journalist and author, says British people prefer not to think about it.

"We're very narrow-minded in the way we eat. We scoff at the French for eating everything, including horse. We think we are more sophisticated for eating a narrower range of meats, there is no 'peasant cuisine'.

"But it is tricky, because generally people who are interested in where their food originates can afford to be interested. The people who can't afford to be deserve to be a little more protected."

She adds there is an "enormous amount" of horse meat in the food chain. "Where do people think they go when they become useless?"

While the British Food Minister David Heath believes the horsemeat in Tesco's beefburgers originates from "a third-party country", figures from the Irish Department for Agriculture reveal a six-fold increase in the number of horses slaughtered at government-licensed abattoirs since the recession took hold.

In 2008, about 2,000 horses were killed for their meat - the bulk of which is exported to countries such as France, Italy and Belgium - while in 2011, the figure stood at more than 12,000.

The number of licensed slaughterhouses has also grown, from one to five over the same period. It is important to note that not all horses would be slaughtered for human consumption.

The UK also has five specialised equine abattoirs, according to the FSA.

Despite the current backlash against the economy burger, Prince says a lower-quality higher-value product is driven by consumer demand for cheap food. Not everybody can afford steak, or even a more expensive burger, but they still want to eat meat.

"Supermarkets are battling with each other to be the cheapest, and demanding better and better deals from their suppliers.

"One shouldn't imagine that supermarkets are knowledgeable about exactly what is found in every product, but this does risk compromising their credibility.

"There has to be trust between the supermarket and suppliers, and in turn their suppliers and their suppliers. You can see how it is easy for the chain to become convoluted."

While there is clearly a place in the market for value beefburgers and other processed products, the best way to avoid unexpected burger nasties is to make them yourself.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Here comes "The Jungle". Can "Soylent Green" be far behind?

[Sub Human]

Caught a mouse in my shed yesterday, want me to send it to you?
I don't have a recipe though.

I live with two cats, they leave mice in my shoes, my bed, etc. Not so appetizing. It is merely a testament to George R.R. Martin's prose that I can be moved to wonder and actually contemplate the culinary delights of his imagined world. I know if I were at some Dothraki Market and had a few spare coins. . .honeyed locusts anyone?

[Gob]

Ooopsy!!

The Ministry of Justice is to suspend a firm supplying meat to prisons after tests found that it may have provided pies and pasties described as Halal - but with traces of pork DNA.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the "local authority" involved was investigating, while the MoJ said the products have been withdrawn.

Justice minister Jeremy Wright said the incident was "absolutely unacceptable".

Under Islamic law, Muslims are strictly forbidden to eat pork.

In a statement, Mr Wright said the Prison Service was investigating the incident "as a matter of urgency".

He added: "This is an absolutely unacceptable situation and one which we regret greatly.

"Clearly this must be distressing for those affected and they can be reassured we are doing everything we can to resolve the situation."

[oldr_n_wsr]

The other white meat.

[Gob]

Findus beef lasagne contained up to 100% horsemeat, FSA says


The product was made for Findus by a French food supplier


The meat content of some beef lasagne products recalled by Findus was up to 100% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency has said.

Findus withdrew its beef lasagne from retailers in 320g, 360g and 500g sizes on Monday as a precautionary measure.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said it was "completely unacceptable" that a product claiming to beef lasagne turned out to be mainly horsemeat.

Findus said: "We do not believe this to be a food safety issue."

The FSA said Findus tested 18 of its beef lasagne products and found 11 meals containing between 60% and 100% horsemeat.

People have been warned not to eat the products, which were made for Findus by French food supplier Comigel.

The FSA said: "We have no evidence to suggest that this is a food safety risk. However, the FSA has ordered Findus to test the lasagne for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or 'bute'.

"Animals treated with phenylbutazone are not allowed to enter the food chain as it may pose a risk to human health.

"The Findus beef lasagne was distributed to the main UK supermarkets and smaller convenience stores. Findus has already begun a full recall of these products.

"People who have bought any Findus beef lasagne products are advised not to eat them and return them to the shop they bought them from."

Mr Paterson said the presence of unauthorised ingredients "cannot be tolerated".

"The responsibility for the safety and authenticity of food lies with those who produce it, and who sell or provide it to the final consumer. I know that food producers, retailers and caterers are as concerned as we are at the course of recent events," he said.

"The Food Standards Agency, Defra, and the Department of Health are working closely with businesses and trade bodies along the whole food chain to root out any illegal activity and enforce food safety and authenticity regulations.

"Consumers can be confident that we will take whatever action we consider necessary if we discover evidence of criminality or negligence."

Findus said the product was manufactured by a third party supplier and not by Findus.

The frozen food company said all its other products had been tested and were not affected.

Findus said in a statement: "We understand this it is a very sensitive subject for consumers and we would like to reassure you we have reacted immediately. We do not believe this to be a food safety issue.

"We are confident that we have fully resolved this supply chain issue. Fully compliant beef lasagne will be in stores again soon.

"Consumers who have purchased the product should call our Findus UK Customer Care Line on UK 0800 132584, ROI 1800 800500 or email careline@findus.co.uk for a full refund."

[Gob]

Something good may come of it...

Almost a third of adults in Britain have stopped eating ready-meals as a result of the horsemeat scandal, while 7 per cent have stopped eating meat altogether, a poll has found.

The ComRes survey for the Sunday Mirror and The Independent on Sunday newspapers, which was released on Sunday, found that 31 per cent have given up eating ready-meals as the discovery of equine flesh in products labelled beef, spreads across Europe.

The poll also found a 53 per cent to 33 per cent majority in favour of banning the import of all meat products "until we can be sure of their origin".

ComRes interviewed 2002 adults online on Wednesday and Thursday.

Twenty-nine beef products out of 2501 tested in Britain have been found to contain more than 1 per cent horsemeat, its Food Standards Agency said on Friday.

The scandal has left governments scrambling to figure out how and where the mislabelling happened in the sprawling chain of production spanning a maze of abattoirs and meat suppliers across Europe.

"We need to restore consumer confidence," said Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

"That is why we are working flat-out now with the European authorities, with other European countries and, of course, introducing things that we should now do on a more systematic debate like random testing."

Mark Price, the chief executive of Waitrose, one of Britain's major supermarket chains, warned that in return for knowing that food is safe and genuine, it can no longer be seen as a "cheap commodity".

"If the question is, 'who can sell the cheapest stuff?', I'm afraid it is inevitable that there will be a slackening of product specifications," he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

"If something good comes of the current scandal I hope it is the opening up of a debate around the true economics of food and a determination on the part of everybody in the food industry to apply renewed rigour to their processes and testing regimes to ensure that customers can relax and enjoy the food they buy," he said.

[Sean]

I'm not taking any chances either. From now on I'm only eating Black Caviar.

[oldr_n_wsr]

I'm not taking any chances either. From now on I'm only eating Black Caviar.

Me too, only stuff I kill myself. Got a squirrel the other day.

[Gob]

o To beef or not to beef. That is equestrian.

o I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse.....I guess Tesco listened.

o Anyone want a burger from Tesco? Yay or neigh?

o Not entirely sure how Tesco are going to get over this hurdle.

o Waitress in Tesco asked if I wanted anything on my Burger....so I had $5 each way!

o Had some burgers from Tesco for my tea last night.... I still have a bit between my teeth.

o A woman has been taken into hospital after eating horse meat burgers from Tesco. Her condition is said to be stable.

o Tesco are now testing all their vegetarian burgers for traces of unicorn.

o I've just checked the Tesco burgers in my freezer...AND THEY'RE OFF !!

o Tesco now forced to deny presence of zebra in burgers, as shoppers confuse barcodes for serving suggestions.

o A cow walks into a bar. Barman says, "Why the long face?". Cow says "Illegal ingredients, coming over here stealing our jobs!"

o I hear the smaller version of those Tesco burgers make great horse d'oeuvres.

[Econoline]

[Gob]

I love the vege burger one.

[Sean]

I'm not taking any chances either. From now on I'm only eating Black Caviar.

Humour is completely wasted on you buggers isn't it?

Black Caviar

[Crackpot]

It wasn't that funny