Pub steaks probed by new ITV programme

Pubs can expect to face new calls for menu transparency when an ITV programme highlights the origin of meat served in two national pub chains.

The first episode of 'Undercover Mum', to be shown on ITV tonight (August 21), shows investigator Nina Hobson sending samples of steaks bought at JD Wetherspoons and Greene King Hungry Horse pubs for analysis.

The samples show the meat contains some DNA from the zebu, a species of cattle bred in Africa and Brazil.

Zebu are often cross-bred with European cattle, but earlier this year English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) amended its quality standard to exclude zebu genes.

The 15 outlets visited by the programme were chosen at random. While neither operator has ever denied serving meat sourced from around the world, the programme showed that some pub staff were unable to say where meat came from when asked.

Wetherspoons, which serves 140,000 steaks a week, is to send guidance to managers enabling them to deal with any customer queries arising from the programme. The company stressed that all its steaks come from EU approved sources.

The company's chief operating officer Paul Harbottle said: "In Brazil, the zebu has been crossbred with European cattle and the crossbreed variety supplies very good beef which is exported all over the world.

"In fact, 30 per cent of all steak imported into the UK comes from the crossbreed variety of zebu cattle."

Hungry Horse marketing director Adam Collett said: "We are known for our fantastic quality steaks and our affordable prices and are absolutely committed to sourcing excellent quality beef from high quality stock. We utterly deny any claims that our steaks are sub-standard.

"We insist on rigorous standards from our butchers who provide us with great beef from recognised, traceable herds."

EBLEX head of marketing, Andrew Garvey, said: "EBLEX encourages and supports menu transparency as a way of ensuring consumers are able to make an informed choice about the meat they eat.

"A large amount of industry research has shown that tropically adapted Zebu breeds produce meat with an overall poorer eating quality and more variability than that from British or European breeds."

Ms Hobson is a former policewoman with two children. In other programmes in the series, she will investigate issues including teenage drinking and family debt.