Anti-meat contamination work starts

Feb 9 2013

Work is under way to ensure Scottish-based manufacturers of processed meat products have the necessary measures in place to prevent contamination following the horse meat scandal.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Scotland has made arrangements for local authorities to carry out a series of food standards inspections on top of "stringent" controls already in place.

The minister said: "The initial focus will be on manufacturers of processed meat products and this work is already under way. It is the responsibility of the food industry to produce safe food that is accurately labelled and does not mislead consumers.

"Scotland already has a stringent set of regulatory controls in place to underpin food safety and confidence but we are determined not to be seen as in any way complacent. That's why we are speaking with the FSA on a daily basis to ensure we are fully engaged with this situation as it evolves."

Bosses from leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons have attended a meeting at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in London.

The talks come as frozen food company Findus UK reiterated its apology after tests found up to 100% horse meat in some of its beef lasagnes.

Rural Affairs and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said action was "essential" to prevent any damage to the reputation of Scotland's food industry.

Mr Lochhead said: "It is completely unacceptable that consumers are being misled about what is contained in the food that they buy, and that multi-national companies have allowed this to happen.

"While no manufacturers based in Scotland are currently affected, this is an extremely serious issue which, understandably, is creating a great deal of alarm amongst consumers.

"I am urging the European Commission and the UK Government, who have responsibility in this area, to get to the route of this matter immediately. While no food safety risks have been identified by the FSA so far, it is essential that this scandal is addressed to eliminate the public's sense of confusion and to prevent any damage to Scotland's highly regarded food industry whose success is built on a reputation for quality."