Supermarket deception

 Horsemeat on your plate 

14 January 2013

Tesco beef burgers found to contain 29% horse meat

 Horse meat has been found in burgers on sale in British supermarkets. Tests on beef products sold in Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores uncovered low levels of the animal's DNA.

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In Tesco Everyday Value Beef Burgers, horse meat accounted for approximately 29 per cent of the meat. The supermarket announced last night that it was removing all frozen burgers from sale immediately regardless if they had been found to contain horse meat.

Tim Smith, the group technical director of Tesco, said: “The presence of illegal meat in our products is extremely serious. Our customers have the right to expect that food they buy is produced to correct safety standards..

An investigation was carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The Food Standards Agency, working with the Irish authorities, established that mainland Britain was part of the area affected.

 

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The really bad news? Horse burgers aren't the only nasty secret in the chill cabinets

The news that some of Britain’s favourite supermarkets have been selling horse meat has come as a shock to many shoppers.

After all, the big retailers never miss an opportunity to remind us of their ‘high standards’.

In their advertising campaigns, they boast of meeting the customers’ needs through their rigorous quality control, and delight in telling us which particular farmer their produce comes from.

Following scandals such as the BSE ‘mad cow’ outbreak and the great salmonella scare, they also now trumpet their adherence to food safety throughout their supply lines.

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