Wiltshire school meal supplier halts products after equine DNA found in frozen beef

3:17pm Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News By Craig Jones

Sodexo's tests found evidence of equine DNA Sodexo's tests found evidence of equine DNA

Sodexo, a catering company which supplies food to around 20 schools in Wiltshire, has withdrawn their frozen beef products after traces of horse meat were found in some samples.

The company carried out tests on products it receives from their supplies with equine DNA being found.

This is the latest development in the horse meat saga which has seen Findus, Birdseye, Tesco, the Co-op, Lidl, Iceland and Aldi all withdraw some of their frozen products from shelves.

A spokesperson said: “We demanded written assurances from across our supply chain that the products we purchase did not contain horse meat, and additionally implemented an internal sampling programme.

“Despite repeated guarantees from our suppliers, our sampling has identified frozen beef products which tested positive and this situation is totally unacceptable.”

Sodexo have informed the Food Standards Agency and will be carrying out their own internal investigation.

Sodexo business, Tillery Valley Foods, which provides meals for the healthcare sector, hasn’t had any products affected.

Wiltshire Council doesn’t provide the region’s school meals as individual schools organise their own catering contracts with outside businesses.

Wiltshire Councillor Keith Humphries, cabinet member for Public Health and Protection Services, said: “This is a very fast moving situation and we don’t know what is coming next. The Sodexo discovery is just the latest in a growing line of companies involved in this big issue.”

Following the first discovery of horse meat, the FSA launched an inquiry into the issue ordering food companies to carry out tests on all processed beef products, specifically asking some local authorities to carry out tests, on products produced in their areas, with Wiltshire Council not being asked.

Cllr Humphries said: “Other than the supermarket chains we haven’t had any issues and I think we are just playing a waiting game at the minute because given the magnitude of the situation, there might well be traces found locally at some stage in the future, we just don’t know.”

Comments(15)

cght36 says...
3:52pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Our schools meat comes from a local butchers and all meat is dealt with onsite, and sourced within 50 miles of the butchers. Though its not the schools fault who use Sudexo theyre buying what they think is beef like the rest of us at the supermarkets. also not the fault of Sodexo either, obviously checks now need to be put in place.

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Mystery Mike says...
4:04pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Get it down yer!

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
7:49pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Can someone inform Wiltshire Councillor Keith Humphries, cabinet member for Public Health and Protection Services, that this is not a health issue - it's a labelling issue, so perhaps we would be better off hearing the views of Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for labels.

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beetawix says...
9:37pm Wed 27 Feb 13

Cllr says “This is a very fast moving situation and we don’t know what is coming next.

a fast race indeed, with Equine DNA coming up on the outside some quick thinking on the hoof is required.

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old 'arry says...
6:44am Thu 28 Feb 13

Well, as me ol' Dad used to say, "Bugger me old boots!" Here am I agreeing with old Ma Donnyfly again. There is nothing dangerous about eating horsemeat. The fact that this fraud has been going on for some time without anyone showing ill-effects shows that it is, as she says, a question of labelling. In fact horse meat is leaner and hence better for kids.

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wondering why says...
7:14am Thu 28 Feb 13

labelling and provenance are key here, the system has more holes in it than emmental cheese making the fraud possible. Perhaps it's time to test other meat products to see if other issues exist.

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Mystery Mike says...
8:40am Thu 28 Feb 13

I have a strong inkling that most McDonald's burgers are actually padded out with pulped cardboard and dust.

If they're made with 100% beef, lord knows what they're doing to them to make them such flat, lifeless, hell-patties.

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old 'arry says...
9:19am Thu 28 Feb 13

Mystery Mike wrote:
I have a strong inkling that most McDonald's burgers are actually padded out with pulped cardboard and dust.

If they're made with 100% beef, lord knows what they're doing to them to make them such flat, lifeless, hell-patties.
100 % beef doesn't mean 100% LEAN. Fat is fairly tasteless. The same with KFC: Fried it certainly is, it may have a link with Kentucky, but chicken it certainly isn't.

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Grumpyoldgit99 says...
10:38am Thu 28 Feb 13

Mrs Donnyfly wrote:
Can someone inform Wiltshire Councillor Keith Humphries, cabinet member for Public Health and Protection Services, that this is not a health issue - it's a labelling issue, so perhaps we would be better off hearing the views of Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for labels.
Thankyou for confirming that the horses involved were fed and bred to strict UK livestock standards and were regularly checked for health and freedom from disease, and weren't sick old nags, that may have died by the side of the road and then been dragged off to the nearest abattoir to be turned into pies.

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beetawix says...
11:35am Thu 28 Feb 13

Mystery Mike says...I have a strong inkling that most McDonald's burgers are actually padded out with pulped cardboard and dust.

Your inkling is horse manure on all counts.
If it were true it would probably have been proved by now to be more than your inkling.
If it were true and not yet proved and they were happily selling a cardboard padded version to happy customers why would they stop at, as you say, 'most' burgers and continue to produce a minority of the all beef version.
In the unlikely event of your inkling
being correct, why dont you suggest to McD that they produce an edible beef/cardboard packing material which may solve a litter problem.

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Grumpyoldgit99 says...
11:47am Thu 28 Feb 13

I think the point with Mcdonalds and other takeaway burger joints is that whatever the % of meat, and however they are described by the company, they are low quality. Just compare a takeaway burger with an Aberdeen Angus or similar quality burger, and the difference is immediately noticeable. You will notice a difference in texture as you bite through the burger and it has to be chewed to be eaten, while a Mcdonalds or other cheap burger has no real consistency.

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
9:31pm Thu 28 Feb 13

Grumpyoldgit said.... "You will notice a difference in texture as you bite through the burger and it has to be chewed to be eaten..."

Is there something wrong with having to chew? Do you normally suck yours then?

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old 'arry says...
5:22am Fri 1 Mar 13

beetawix wrote:
Mystery Mike says...I have a strong inkling that most McDonald's burgers are actually padded out with pulped cardboard and dust.

Your inkling is horse manure on all counts.
If it were true it would probably have been proved by now to be more than your inkling.
If it were true and not yet proved and they were happily selling a cardboard padded version to happy customers why would they stop at, as you say, 'most' burgers and continue to produce a minority of the all beef version.
In the unlikely event of your inkling
being correct, why dont you suggest to McD that they produce an edible beef/cardboard packing material which may solve a litter problem.
Now these posting explain a lot. I have always said how much I enjoy a McDonald's, but it sems I should not have been eating the cardboard and throwing the contents!

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lensman says...
11:50am Sat 2 Mar 13

Where do all the roadkill badgers disappear to ? :)

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Mrs Donnyfly says...
3:46pm Sat 2 Mar 13

lensman wrote:
Where do all the roadkill badgers disappear to ? :)
The great badger parade in the sky

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