Horse meat scandal: FSA to widen tests on beef-based products

The Food Standards Agency will double the number of DNA tests being carried out on beef-based products.

10:41 21 February 2013

After testing beefburgers and ready meals for horse meat, the Food Standards Agency has confirmed that they will increase the number of DNA tests being carried out on beef-based products. They have included steak and other beef-based ingredients to their growing list. 

Mary Creagh, the shadow environment secretary, has reason to believe that the horse meat scandal might be bigger than previously thought. She told The Telegraph that it makes sense to check elsewhere for horse meat, aside from ready meals.

 

British retailers conducted tests and have confirmed that one in 65 beef products were contaminated with horse meat. 

 

FSA said that it will include additional 140 samples of frozen, chilled or canned, and beef-based ready meals to the list of food to be tested. These included lasagne, chilli con carne, cottage pie, ravioli, cannelloni and spaghetti bolognese sold by retailers.

 

They will be tested for both horse and pork DNA.

 

An FSA spokesman said that they wanted to test as many beef-based products as possible to ensure that it is not an endemic problem.