FSA confirms new round of horsemeat testing

The tests have been requested by the European Commission as part of the follow-up to last year’s horsemeat scandal when beef products sold throughout Europe were found to have been deliberately adulterated with horsemeat.

According to the FSA, this new round of EU testing should give "additional reassurance to consumers across Europe that the food chain is being checked for potential problems".

The testing is not based on any new intelligence about food fraud but has been requested as part of the on-going work to ensure the problems discovered last year do not reoccur, it added.

Routine sampling​

Since last year, local authorities in the UK have been testing beef products for horsemeat as part of their routine sampling programmes. The UK food industry has also been testing beef products and submitting quarterly results to the FSA.

The FSA said this new round of European testing is in addition to both of these strands of ongoing work.

The UK will collect and test 150 samples of beef products, including from retail outlets and wholesale catering suppliers. These will include raw beef products such as mince, burgers and sausages. Cooked ready meals including canned products will also be tested.

Steve Wearne, director of policy at the FSA, said: "We remain vigilant about the threats to our food supply from fraudsters and are determined that we do not see a repeat of the problems that emerged last year.

"We are working closely with local authorities to do more authenticity testing and we have increased the additional funding we provide to support this to £2m this year."