FSA reports back on beef products survey
Following a European Commission call for member states to carry out a survey of beef products, in the wake of the horsemeat scandal, the UK has now submitted its results.
The Food Standards Agency reported that none of the UK samples was found to contain horse DNA at or above the one per cent threshold for reporting.
Member states were also asked to provide information on phenylbutazone (bute) testing being carried out at slaughterhouses.
In February, the FSA introduced a ‘positive release system’ at horse slaughterhouses in the UK. Under this system, every horse carcass is sampled for the presence of residue from the veterinary medicine. Carcasses are only released from the slaughterhouse if no bute is found.
During the period 11 February to 4 April, 836 carcasses were tested for bute. Fourteen were found to contain bute and were prevented from entering the food chain.
