Horse drug bute found in Asda’s corned beef product
Asda are removing a certain corned beef product from sale after traces of a horse drug were found in some samples
13:57 10 April 2013
Supermarket giant Asda has said on Tuesday, 9thApril, that it will remove from sale its corned beef product. This relates to ‘Smart Price’ corned beef which the group sells. The announcement came after bute was discovered in some samples.
Tests revealed that traces of phenylbutazone, or bute, the veterinary drug, were found in certain samples of the budget range corned beef product. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) stated that very low levels of the drug were found.
Asda has said it will recall all of its Smart Price corned beef. This follows the group having already removed the budget range corned beef from sale in March.
The company explained they have carried out many hundreds of tests and also removed any foods they were worried over.
A statement from Asda reads as: “We have taken an extremely cautious approach since the very beginning and have carried out more than 700 tests, moving swiftly to remove any products from our shelves whenever we've had the smallest concerns.”
It continued to say: “Our commitment to you is to continue to test our products regularly and update you with the very latest news as soon as we can.”
Any person who has purchased Asda’s Smart Price corned beef is being advised to take the product back to Asda.
If bute is given to an animal, the animal is then not allowed to enter the food chain. The reason for this is that it may pose a threat to humans. Although, it is understood the risk posed to a human’s health is not too serious, according to reports.
It is thought this marks the first time the veterinary drug bute has been found in foods.