Raids on two premises as horse-meat probe continues

Authorities inward Britain stimulate got raided 2 core premises every bit business office of its ongoing investigation into the mislabelling of core products.

The Food Standards Agency together with law entered 2 core premises on Tuesday, ane inward West Yorkshire together with the other inward West Wales.

One was identified every bit Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse, inward Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

The way said it believed it supplied Equus caballus carcasses to Farmbox Meats Ltd, inward Llandre, Aberystwyth, Wales.

The way together with law were looking into the circumstances through which core products, purporting to live on beef for kebabs together with burgers, were sold when they were inward fact horse.

The way said it had suspended operations at both plants.

Both West Yorkshire together with Dyfed-Powys law entered the premises amongst the agency, which has detained all core industrial plant life together with seized paperwork, including client lists, from the 2 companies.

Andrew Rhodes

“I ordered an audit of all Equus caballus producing abattoirs inward the UK of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland after this number root arose final calendar month together with I was shocked to uncover what appears to live on a blatant misleading of consumers,” way manager Andrew Rhodes said.

“I stimulate got suspended both plants instantly piece our investigations continue.”

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: “This is absolutely shocking.

“It’s totally unacceptable if whatsoever describe concern inward the UK of Britain together with Northern Republic of Ireland is defrauding the populace past times passing off Equus caballus core every bit beef. I aspect the total forcefulness of the law to live on brought downward on anyone involved inward this sort of activity.”

Welsh Government Minister for Agriculture Alun Davies said: “Integrity together with trust are essential inward the nutrient chain.

“I would live on appalled if these allegations are proven. The Welsh Government is working closely amongst [agriculture body] Defra together with the Food Standards Agency to ensure this affair is dealt amongst swiftly together with decisively.”

The raids are business office of ongoing inquiries across several countries inward Europe, every bit the scandal some Equus caballus core beingness used inward processed beef products widens.

The employment has developed into a European-wide probe of nutrient fraud involving a hit of core products, together with traders/food describe concern operators.

Tens of millions of products stimulate got been pulled from supermarket shelves inward Ireland, Britain, French Republic together with Sweden every bit testing adds to a growing listing of contaminated products.

Ireland’s agriculture minister, Simon Coveney, said he had arranged a coming together inward Brussels adjacent Wed amongst European Union Commissioner for Health together with Consumer Policy Tonio Borg, to view the wider European implications of the scandal.

Coveney said he intended to speak over amongst the committee together with other relevant ministers whatever steps may live on necessary at European Union degree to comprehensively address this matter.

The government minister has too arranged to stimulate got the number on the agenda for the adjacent Council of Agriculture Ministers afterward this month.

Coveney too confirmed that he would live on requesting Irish Gaelic manufacturers of processed core products to acquit out deoxyribonucleic acid testing together with to move amongst the Food Safety Authority of Republic of Ireland (FSAI) inward developing testing protocols for this purpose.

The government minister said he considered it a necessary footstep to reassure Irish Gaelic consumers together with consumers of Irish Gaelic nutrient abroad.

Coveney said he had been inward regular contact amongst his British counterpart, Owen Paterson.

Both agreed that the nutrient watchdogs of the 2 countries would move closely together together with jointly concord an approach for protecting the authenticity of core ingredients used inward the industry of meat-based products.

The government minister revealed he had held a lengthy together with constructive coming together amongst his Polish counterpart inward Brussels and, every bit a result, a Polish veterinarian delegation would see Republic of Ireland this calendar week to live on briefed on its investigation.

Meanwhile, Romanaian officials are reported to live on irate that the province was named every bit  the source of contamination inward processed beef products produced past times French fellowship Comigel at its Luxemburg plant.

French regime revealed a describe of transactions which ultimately led to Romania every bit the source of the meat.

The Telegraph inward Britain reports that Romanaian officials are adamant that the Equus caballus core was correctly labelled every bit such when it left the country.

Romanian prime number government minister Victor Ponta told a press conference that his province had been wrongly vilified every bit the “usual suspects”.

“We stimulate got finished our investigation together with every bit far every bit nosotros know nosotros stimulate got non broken the law,” the Telegraph reported him every bit saying.

He said he was angry that the French had blamed Romania.

“It is unfair that they pointed the finger at our companies. We make non desire to live on the suspect for everything. There was no breaking of the law inward Romania. Now it is upwards to the European Union to respect out who is responsible. Those who stimulate got switched the labels must live on punished.”

 

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