Horrific Cruelty Towards Babies: The Unwanted Male Dairy Calves

“This is an update on a post I did several months ago; however this contains more information. So please read the information at the links, sign the petitions & watch a new video recorded February 2013 by Animals Australia!!”

“Don’t you find it appalling that we force animals into pregnancy, then steal their babies & if that wasn’t bad enough, we then steal their babies milk! FFS people…please…I know I’ve written a lot; but only because I feel so strongly on the this subject. These animals have very little rights, or protection from harm…yes there are rules in place…but there all just about broken; as we have seen so many times before on undercover videos. Ok, these are just animals to some, but that doesn’t, nor shouldn’t put them beneath us, nor give us the right to treat them in such appalling ways, should it??

These young, vulnerable animals suffered not only because of illegal cruelty — but, crucially, because they were not wanted by the commercial dairy industry. Hundreds of thousands of Australian bobby calves are slaughtered each year as ‘waste products‘ of the dairy industry. The terrible treatment at this abattoir is not the first, nor will it be the last time that calves will be thrown, dragged and abused.

Their inability as babies to comprehend what is required of them, whether during loading for transport or up the races of slaughterhouses, requires them to be treated with compassion and patience — two human traits rarely witnessed when it comes to dealing with unwanted and ‘worthless’ animals.

Hidden Cameras – The Unwanted Dairy calf Investigation – Does not show slaughter!

(What you probably knew, but didn’t want to see; is a better title)

Published on 1 Feb 2013

Using hidden cameras, this investigation into the fate of unwanted dairy calves (bobby calves) in Australia reveals what the dairy industry doesn’t want you to see. LIKE & SHARE this video to help expose this. For tips on going dairy-free visit http://AnimalsAustralia.org/dairy-inv…

Young calves pushed, shocked with electric prods, hit and dragged up a metal ramp to be slaughtered… Some, too weak to stand, are thrown into the slaughter chute.

This shocking footage, provided to Animals Australia, was taken at an abattoir in Northern Victoria.

Upon receiving the footage, Animals Australia lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for breaches of Victorian animal cruelty laws and the illegal use of an electric prod on a calf. A formal complaint was also lodged with PrimeSafe for breaches of the Australian Standards governing welfare at abattoirs; PrimeSafe ordered the practices cease immediately. Investigations have now concluded — incredibly, no charges have been laid.

Instead, the abattoir owners and several workers were issued with formal warnings by DPI. “Formal warnings for beating, shocking & brutally abusing babies…does that seem right or fair? Those heartless bastards should have been EXPOSED to all & at the very least; then BEEN FINED & DISMISSED!”

This exposure of abattoir cruelty, the latest in a string over the past 15 months, further demonstrates the urgent need for constant monitoring by Government veterinary officers and CCTV in all abattoirs.

“OK…this is my rant! Don’t we kill enough animals? slaughtered in appalling ways, just to satisfy the human hunger for all things meat?? Please…these are babies, yet they are thrown around, stunned, hit, poked, prodded etc. from the day they are born. This is 2013; we don’t need to be eating baby calves to maintain a healthy diet, any more than we need to be stealing their milk…it’s all just a preference!”

 “For the cow’s, nature normally decides the sex of an animal, but there is such a thing as specific “sexed semen” in the farming industry. It’s mainly only used on heifers for their first born, after that, it isn’t so predictable. So “sexed semen” isn’t widely used. A dairy cow is impregnated every year, so she continues to produce a steady supply of milk for humans to drink.This is usually done through artificial insemination which will give a 50/50 chance as to the sex of the calf. Most cows in the regular dairy industry are also given growth hormones, causing their udders to become unnaturally big and heavy, resulting in frequent infections. The Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) also increases birth defects in calves.

Female cows have the same gestation period as women, 9 months! When the calf is born, it is normal dairy practice to remove the calf. Generally, the female calves are reared to join the milking herd but for male calves, it’s a very different story! The average modern dairy cow will produce about 100 pounds of milk per day, which is 10 times more than it would naturally produce. Normally cows can live an average of 25 years. Dairy cows are slaughtered and made into ground beef after about 3-4 years.

For the poor males calves born, a small percentage can either be reared for beef, if suitable, or sold for veal. After being removed from their mothers, veal calves are loaded onto trucks and often sold at auctions. These small and fragile calves are often treated very roughly. If they are unable to walk, they will be dragged by their legs or ears (as seen in the video)

 For the places that still use veal crates, the calves are confined in crates measuring about two feet wide. To make their meat more “tender”, their movements are restrained by chains around their necks. To give a white colour to their meat, the calves are fed an all-liquid milk-substitute, purposely deficient in iron and fibre  After about 16 weeks, these poor calves are slaughtered and their meat is sold labelled as “white” veal. They don’t even get to taste their mothers milk, let alone be with their mothers!”

 “Bob” veal comes from calves who are slaughtered when they are only a few hours or days old! SORRY….that just isn’t right…in fact, it makes us no better than our earlier neanderthal man, who would eat any meat, just to stay alive! WTF are we doing, eating baby calves…isn’t the meat from a cow good enough???

There is no getting away from the fact that humans developed this heinous life for young calves, purely so that their meat would taste nice to a certain clientele ! How f-ing wrong is that??? Doing so makes us no better than the people in Asia that eat puppies, dogs or cats! How many of you have signed numerous petitions to put an end to the cruel torture & eating of puppies, dogs or cats?? Some regions of china, beat the animal before it is slaughtered, because those eating it believe it makes the meat taste better.! Well what the hell are we doing??? putting babies into small crates to restrict their growth; so their meat tastes nicer!!! We are no f-ing better then them, we cause baby calves pain by putting them into crates with chains around their necks, not letting them move, feeding them poor diets etc. TELL ME…WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE???”

“Sadly, I’m more than aware, that where no other viable options exist, some farmers have no choice but to cull their bull calves, i.e. shoot them shortly after birth!! Perhaps this is the better end, than being dragged from their mothers, forced into trailers, degraded at sale rings…starved in veal crates, then violently tossed onto a slaughter belt & probably concious whilst their throats are cut!

“Female cows are in the dairy business for one reason only, for humans to steal their milk! Milk they produce because they are continually kept pregnant, because being pregnant means their body gets ready to produce milk for their babies, just like women; which is why female cow’s have their babies then are made pregnant again!  Artificial insemination especially in intensive dairy farming, cows are genetically engineered and fed growth hormones to force them to produce more milk.”

All female animals produce milk just like humans do, for their babies…unless your born a male calf…males don’t don’t get to have their mothers milk or be nurtured & feel safe; because they were sadly born MALE & not wanted by the commercial dairy industry.“

 “YOU CAN HELP BY SIMPLY NOT EATING VEAL or drinking their milk…Wouldn’t you feel a lot happier knowing you were not contributing to this?? I don’t eat any meat & only have Soya as my dairy substitute; even if I wasn’t vegetarian I still couldn’t stomach the thought of eating any baby animal;especially after seeing how they are treated!

“The link below also offers other ways to help this appalling cruelty”

Link:–http://animalsaustralia.org/investigations/dairy-calf-cruelty-investigation/

“These babies, including, pigs, cows, chickens, lambs, foals & often other animals around the world, are seen in the farming industry as cattle, livestock or property…therefore allowed to be killed & abused dreadfully, as is being seen! Why are we letting this happen??

What You Never Knew About Dairy

Uploaded on 24 Jan 2011

The treatment of bobby calves has been a long-held secret of the dairy industry. For the sake of milk products, the Australian dairy industry discards some 700,000 unwanted week-old calves as ‘waste products’ every year. You can help these vulnerable animals at http://www.animalsaustralia.org

Pledge to go Dairy Free:– http://animalsaustralia.org/take_action/pledge/dairy-free-pledge/

Demand animals not be treated as ‘waste products‘:-http://animalsaustralia.org/take_action/bobby-calf-cruelty/

Go deliciously dairy-free!:-http://animalsaustralia.org/features/dairy-free-shopping-list.php

“Of course there are those that don’t want the public to see how animals are treated or slaughtered on farms etc. So they are trying to introduce Ag-Gag bills…WHY?? If a farm has nothing to hide; why be so paranoid? We need these people to go into places the public are not allowed, so they can document all stages of cattle processing etc. Personally I think all places were animals are reared or slaughtered should have CCTV made available to 3rd parties at any time. For workers who, for want of a better word “enjoy causing & inflicting pain on another living being” farms & slaughter houses are perfect for them to carry on their diabolical & heinous rituals of hurting animals! Without undercover films or CCTV…how the hell are we going to know how the animals are kept & handled??”

Dangerous bills in five states would criminalize whistle-blowing on factory farms, chilling the ability of the American public to confront animal cruelty, unsafe working conditions, and environmental problems. See if your state has such a bill pending. Then learn more about these troublesome pieces of legislation in the link below.

In 2013, these states have introduced anti-whistle-blower bills:

• New Hampshire (HB 110)—pending: Live in N.H.? Take action now!
• Wyoming (HB 0126)—passed House; pending in Senate
• Indiana (SB 373/SB 391)—pending
• Nebraska (LB 204)—pending
• Arkansas (SB 13/SB 14)—bill pulled by sponsor

Link:–http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/campaigns/factory_farming/fact-sheets/ag_gag.html

If You Have To Eat Veal – Please Buy British veal

By rearing these calves for British veal, we believe they are given a life worth living. The calves are reared in groups and must be provided with bedding which gives them a comfortable floor surface. Young calves are supplied double the amount of fibrous food compared with EU requirements, and older calves have greater space allowance than stipulated in EU law.

And, last but not least, these calves have not endured long distance transport to reach the rearing units.

And finally, if it doesn’t specify on the menu that the veal is British, assume that it isn’t  Retailers, restaurants, butchers and deli’s should be proud to offer this higher welfare alternative.

Read how you can help & watch the video by Compassion In World Farming:- http://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/calves/uncovered_veal_confusion.aspx

HOW CAN I HELP?

You can help to improve the welfare of calves in a number of ways: please visit:- http://www.ciwf.org.uk/what_we_do/calves/take_action/default.aspx

“Go milk free, many people now use almond, soy, rice, coconut or hemp milk. I use Soya milk & to me it taste like creamy milk; delicious!”

Maternal Deprivation – A HSUS guide to the welfare of veal animals

The routine early separation of cows and their calves in the dairy and veal industries is distressing for both. 

Hudson and Mullord found “that 5-min contact with a calf immediately post partum is sufficient for the formation of a strong, specific maternal bond with that calf.”

 Calves separated from their dams at birth, as observed by Lidfors, were less active and vocalized and licked themselves more than calves remaining with their mothers. Marchant-Forde et al. reported that calves separated from their dams 24 hours after birth recognized and responded to recordings of their dams’ calls 24 hours after separation, with the cows’ vocalizations eliciting cardiac and behavioural responses in their calves. 

In its 1995 Report on the Welfare of Calves, the SVC concluded: “The best conditions for rearing young calves involve leaving the calf with the mother in a circumstance where the calf can suckle and can subsequently graze and interact with other calves.” Newborn calves have no antibodies against infections and are entirely dependent on immunoglobulin in mother’s milk for immunological protection.

Colostrum, the milk dams produce during the first few days after calving, is especially high in immunoglobulin. Adequate intake of colostrum is critical for the future health of the calf, as those with low concentrations of absorbed immunoglobulin are more susceptible to diarrhoea.

The routine practice of removing newborn calves from their dams within a few hours of birth may jeopardize this important transfer of immunoglobulin.  Although colostrum is collected from recently calved cows, in top dairy-producing states such as California, it is often sold to facilities specializing in raising female calves for the dairy industry,as their long-term health is considered to be of greater value than that of male calves reared for veal.

Surveys of U.S. veal farms confirm that many calves do not receive adequate colostrum.

Link:-http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-the-welfare-of-animals-in-the-veal-industry.pdf

What about veal crates?

“Confining calves to crates prevents them from performing all of their natural social and psychological behaviours, purposely prevents healthy growth and development. At the end of their short lives, many calves are not able to walk properly to slaughter, due to the under-development of their leg muscles.

“Humans do this on purpose so that their meat tastes better…FFS….this makes us no better than the people in parts of China, that beat dogs to death; under the impression it makes their meat taste better!! Well, we might not intentionally beat the animal to “make it taste better” but we keep it confined in crate so it doesn’t grown normally!! Not that much difference is there??”

“Crated calves are fed a poor substitute as opposed to their mothers milk; which actually causes them to become anaemic, which creates the very pale meat; the seller wants & the buyers need…it disgusting!”

While some animal advocates work to ban the use of veal crates, the slaughter of any animal for food is antithetical to animal rights, regardless of how much room the animals have when they are alive.

Read more at the link below:-

Link:–http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalsusedforfood/g/What-Is-A-Veal-Crate.htm

Veal crates have been banned in the UK since 1990, however veal is still produced in the UK under certain requirements, for example, calves must be able to turn around, they must be fed a diet containing some iron and they may not be kept in individual stalls or pens after the age of eight weeks. As of 2006, similar requirements will be law in the European Union; at present they are only applicable for holdings that have been newly built or rebuilt as of January of 1998.

Here’s a quick look at some of the HSUS’s work to free calves from crates.

State Laws

The HSUS has helped pass laws to ban veal crates in several states, including Arizona,California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Ohio.

Investigations

Our undercover investigation of a “bob veal” slaughter plant shined a bright light onto the abuses that male dairy calves can endure.

Corporations

After working with The HSUS, retailers such as Wolfgang Puck no longer serve veal from calves confined in crates. Strauss Veal, the largest U.S. veal producer, and Marcho Farms, have both converted their veal operations to crate-free housing.

Individuals

The HSUS offers materials that make it easier for consumers to avoid supporting veal crates—and that’s one of the ways you can help! Some include our guide to meat and dairy labels, our list of dairy-free and delicious products, and dozens of delicious, humane recipes.

Link:–http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/veal.html

A brief guide to labels and animal welfare

The Humane Society of the United States

An abundance of labels on meat and dairy products make such claims as “grass fed,” “cage free” and “natural.” What exactly do these labels mean, especially in terms of animal welfare?

Some of the claims represent better conditions for animals than those suffered by the billions who are raised on standard factory farms, while others don’t relate to the animals’ welfare at all. So, how meaningful are these labels?

The following are the most common labels, decoded:-take a look so you know what your buying:- http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/meat_dairy_labels.html

More information & petitions to sign:-

• http://forcechange.com/10605/stop-the-torture-of-veal-calves/
  
• http://forcechange.com/28381/ban-confinement-of-cows-and-pigs-in-massachusetts/

“Why can’t they all be like the farmer below,who genuinely loves & cares for his cows even after their milking days are over!!”

“Eastleigh Farm says goodbye to Framingham herd matriarch”

FRAMINGHAM —

As dairy owner Doug Stephan’s first milk cow, Peaches was Eastleigh Farm’s grande dame. With a beautifully coiffed top-knot crown and way of communicating with farmhands, the brown Jersey girl commanded respect.

“She’s always been extraordinarily regal,” farm worker Georgette Jowdy said.

As the 22-year-old bovine laid her tired legs on a bed of hay Friday morning, her large brown eyes showed that she seemed to know her reign as matriarch was over.

Stephan planned to put Peaches down Friday afternoon, 10 years after retiring her to his home pasture on Grove Street, around the corner from Eastleigh on Edmands Road.

Stephan choked back tears as he sat beside his beloved cow in the barn beside his house, talking about her seemingly psychic abilities, the seven calves she delivered and how she got her name from the vocalist duo Peaches & Herb.

He planned to bury Peaches near his late father’s ashes in the yard, and near a plaque for farm manager Edgar Pless, who died last summer.

“It’s a tough day,” said Jowdy, Pless’ wife, who raises the farm’s calves and had a close bond with Peaches after working there for 14 years. “It’s especially tough for Doug.”

As Peaches put her head on his lap, Stephan recalled bringing the cow and her cousin, Cream, to live at Eastleigh when they were four- or five-day-old heifers.

Cream later died, and the “extraordinarily sharp” Peaches went on to rule the herd. “She was always the boss cow,” Stephan said. “She would show up, get unloaded off the trailer and everyone would clear the way. She was in charge,” Jowdy said.

“She has an aura about her,” Stephan said. “I mean there’s a little crown.” Eastleigh retires its cows instead of slaughtering them after their milking years. It lets them graze in the home pasture, or gives them away to be “lawnmowers,” Jowdy said.

“They give their whole life to give us food,” she said. Strong-willed Peaches lived a long life for a cow and couldn’t stand up at the end, Jowdy said. “They get arthritis, like we do,” she said. “They get bone loss, they get muscle loss.” Peaches, she said, “gave milk for a long, long time and babies – a lot of babies.”

A lineage chart in the barn shows that Peaches delivered Patches, Elsie, Beth, Herbie, Plum, Samantha and Beulah. Apricot, Emma and Elke joined the family tree as future generations. They are among the hundreds of cows that Stephan raises.

Resting in her stall before the veterinarian arrived, Peaches enjoyed lots of snacks in addition to her grain: whole wheat bread, croissant and, a special treat, doughnuts.

“We’re indulging her a lot,” Jowdy said. Jowdy said she was comforted by the fact that Peaches would be joining her late husband. “I like to believe because it’s comforting that he’s there waiting for her,” she said.

“Why can’t all farmers have the compassion & love for their animals as the above man does?  I really take my hat off to this farmer for his loyalty & love of his animals. He appreciates that they give their milk & their babies; in return they get to be cow’s, retired & munching on grass!”

News Link: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1522319540/Eastleigh-Farm-says-goodbye-to-Framingham-herd-matriarch#ixzz2KnHdqXsL

Video of Jowdy saying goodbye to peaches.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/multimedia/video/x898127804/VIDEO-Saying-goodbye-to-Peaches

Part 2 of 2:Danger Drug In UK Horsemeat: Tests Reveal Health Hazard AFTER Meat Was Exported To Europe

“In my opinion, horses shouldn’t even be on any menu, to those that own horses as pleasure horses, they are our pets just as much as dogs or cats; therefore they should be given the same rights as pets….you wouldn’t eat your puppy or cat (unless you lived in Asia perhaps) Thank Christ I am vegetarian, virtually vegan! But if I did eat animals this would be something that would turn my stomach & make me go vegetarian…I couldn’t possibly eat any in case one of my friends is in it!!” 

‘Business as usual’ at plant watchdog said had been shut

A British factory accused of turning horses into burgers and kebabs continued to operate yesterday despite official claims it had been shut down.

The discovery concerning Farmbox Meats, based near Aberystwyth, was further evidence of the shambles surrounding the handling of the scandal.

Farmbox Meats Ltd business owner Dafydd Raw-Rees, pictured yesterday in Llandre near Aberystwyth, west Wales

On Tuesday, the Government’s Food Standards Agency announced that Farmbox Meats and a slaughterhouse in Yorkshire, which had allegedly supplied horse carcasses, had been closed.

The abattoir is owned and run by Peter Boddy of Todmorden, who has a licence to shoot and slaughter unwanted or injured racehorses.

The FSA issued a categorical statement, saying: ‘The FSA has suspended operations at both these plants.’ 
It went on to declare that it and the police had ‘detained all meat found and seized paperwork, including customer lists from the two companies’.

However, yesterday morning the owner of the Farmbox factory insisted it was ‘business as usual’ and accused the FSA of being ‘untruthful’. Staff wearing hair nets were busy de- boning and cutting horse carcasses ready for export to Belgium.

Outside the plant stood large blue crates of meat of unspecified origin, with no evidence of FSA officials or the police on the site. It is housed in an anonymous-looking white-walled concrete building down a narrow country lane in the Ceredigion hills.

The factory is owned by local businessman Dafydd Raw-Rees, 64, a former turkey farmer who is president-elect of the local golf club. He was arrested in 2002 over an alleged offence of supplying meat from illegally slaughtered livestock but was never charged.

The manager of the Farmbox plant, Colin Patterson, was tried at Swansea Crown Court and later acquitted.

In a separate case, his co-defendant Carmello Gale was in 2004 jailed for six months for running an illegal abattoir near Llandysul, West Wales.

Andrew Rhodes, director of operations at the FSA, said its raid on Tuesday established that ‘horse meat had been used as though it were beef in kebabs and burgers at that premises’.

But last night Mr Raw-Rees said that while the plant did handle horse carcasses, it did not process any meat and hadn’t passed it off as beef.

Denying he had been ordered to suspend production, Mr Raw-Rees said he had only begun de-boning horse meat supplied from Ireland three weeks ago.“Only 3 weeks ago, bit suspicious??”

‘It is taken from here to Belgium and I get paid for doing the cutting up,’ he said. ‘I don’t do kebab meat, minced meat or beef burgers. There is absolutely no cross contamination.’

Mr Raw-Rees claimed he had only had three deliveries of cattle from the Todmorden slaughterhouse. 

Locals described Mr Raw-Rees as a ‘colourful character’ who had told them work at the plant – which employs 14 people – had ‘taken off’ after it started handling horse meat.

Later the FSA said: ‘All meat on site was detained yesterday. This morning we confirmed in writing their licence to operate is suspended.’

Government accused of ‘catastrophic complacency’

Published on 14 Feb 2013

no description available

News Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278342/Danger-drug-UK-horsemeat-Tests-reveal-health-hazard-AFTER-meat-exported-Europe.html#ixzz2Ku1dfB00

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Part 1 of 2:Danger Drug In UK Horsemeat: Tests Reveal Health Hazard AFTER Meat Was Exported To Europe

“Why in Gods name are we eating horses anyway? We raise more than enough animals that can suffer heinous living conditions, & an even worse death, not to mention the abuse many share…just to satisfy the human demand for meat…burgers, sausages etc. Why would anyone want to eat a horse or baby cows & lambs…it’s sickening!! If I wasn’t already vegetarian, almost vegan…the thought of eating something that could contain any amount of horse; would be enough to turn my stomach & make me vegetarian. There is no way my horses will ever go to slaughter as I ticked the “Not fit for human consumption” box on their passports.

• The horses were slaughtered in UK and tested for phenylbutazone, or bute
• It is an anti-inflammatory drug that can affect human health
• The meat has already hit Europe and has been eaten or processed

British horse meat contaminated with the danger drug bute has been exported to Europe and has already been eaten or added to processed food, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Details are due to be announced by ministers and the Food Standards Agency today.

The horses were slaughtered at an unnamed British abattoir in the last few weeks and the resulting meat was tested for the presence of the anti-inflammatory drug bute.

But the results of the tests only came back after the meat had been shipped to the Continent and eaten or added to processed food.

Tests have shown the drug bute is contained in horsemeat butchered in the UK and sent to be eaten and processed into food in Europe “What a disgusting filthy yard, the hay looks mouldy…those poor ponies!”

It is not known whether any resulting processed food came back to the UK in ready meals such as lasagne or spaghetti bolognese.

The revelation came as Environment Secretary Owen Paterson signalled more raids could be carried out on British firms suspected of selling contaminated meat in the coming days.

On Tuesday Food Standards Agency officials raided a Yorkshire slaughterhouse and a Welsh factory which it claimed was passing off horse meat as beef.

But the bute scare points to a serious loophole in the food protection regime for consumers, which has been highlighted by Labour’s environment spokesman Mary Creagh.

The FSA announced last week that it would be moving to close this loophole with a new regime for horse meat.

This new system, which only came into effect days ago, is meant to ensure that no carcass is allowed to be sold for food until the bute test results have come back as negative.

The Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden, Yorkshire, which was raided yesterday as part of the police inquiry into the sale of horsemeat being sold as beef

While the presence of bute – phenylbutazone – is a concern, the amounts that appear in horse meat would be extremely small and unlikely to cause any ill effects. “If unchipped horses passports are being swapped around, (as they were with the previous post of the cob swapped, for another horse much bigger to go to slaughter)… nobody can tell how much bute was given to that horse; apart from the owner! I have given my horses bute & not just on a vets prescription. I think most horse owners who know what they are doing, have some bute around, just in case a horse bruises a sole, or has arthritis & seems a bit stiff. 

It is known to be able to induce blood disorders, including aplastic anaemia, in which the bone marrow stops making enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. “Above they say it isn’t a big concern, but if a horses passport has been switched & the passport given to another horse, your not going to know how much bute was in that horse before it was slaughtered; bute is not a drug required to be registered on a horses passport!

Those with severe or very severe aplastic anaemia are at risk of life-threatening infections or bleeding. Bute is also known to cause cancer in rats, but there is no conclusive evidence for it to have the same effect in humans.

Miss Creagh said: ‘With every passing day this scandal seems to get wider.

‘I raised the problem of bute contaminated horse meat being released into the food chain with Defra [farming] ministers last month yet up until two days ago horses were still not being tested for bute and were being released for human consumption.

‘Parliamentary answers released this week show 9,405 horses were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption abroad last year. We must make sure horse meat is not contaminated with bute.’ “You must make sure that the horse has the correct passport too!

Markings on face to be recorded in passport by vet

“Without all horses having to have microchips, I don’t know how they are going to tell without testing a sample from each horse that is slaughtered…imagine how much that is going to cost!” 

“Micro-chipping has been compulsory for foals in the Thoroughbred breeding industry since 1999. Then any equine foal born after 1 July 2009 had to be micro chipped under European-wide regulations.”

 “The regulations apply to foals of all equines —horses, ponies, donkeys, mules and so on.”

“For older horses, it wasn’t mandatory for them to be micro-chipped. 

(“See pictures attached as to how the vet would shade in areas on the passport, of the horses colours & markings, this would be in the passport for an older horse & one not mandatory to be microchipped “)

“The old style passport had an area at the back of the passport where there was an outlined picture of a horse showing the front, right & left side, back, legs, & face of a horse which had to be shaded by a vet to match the exact markings, colouring, even whorls (spiral patches of hair on a horse) & a detailed description given of that particular horse then signed by a vet as proof of identification. Unless your horse was valuable, people didn’t use to microchip until it came into force.”

A vet had to shade in all areas of horse markings & colours

Mr Paterson entered talks with EU ministers in Brussels to try to secure mandatory labelling of the ‘Country of Origin’ on all processed meat products, intelligence sharing between regulators, and spot checks on processors and retailers. “Sounds good, but how is that going help if they have a passport for the horse 

Workers handle meat at the Doly-Com abattoir, one of the two units implicated in the horse meat scandal. Romanian officials say the meat was properly declared and any fraud was committed elsewhere

After the meeting it was announced all member states should carry out 2,500 horse DNA tests on processed beef products and 4,000 bute tests on horse meat during March, and publish the results in mid-April.

Mr Paterson has put the blame for the food fraud scandal on retailers, saying: ‘People have got to trust what they buy and the ultimate link between the quality of the products and what is marked on the label has got to be the business selling the product.

‘If people are being sold a product that says processed beef and get a product that contains a significant amount of horse meat, that is a fraud.’

FSA officials said they were looking at trails – where the meat went – from five slaughterhouses in the UK that regularly process horses.

Mr Paterson said Tuesday’s raids were the result of information  passed to the Food Standards Agency after contamination was first detected in Ireland three weeks ago, and said the agency was doing ‘methodical, painstaking work … sifting through data’.

Tesco withdrew its everyday value spaghetti bolognese when it emerged that it contained horsemeat. The product was prepared in Europe

‘We saw vigorous action yesterday, and we may well see some more action over the course of the coming few days’, he said. ‘But it’s not very clever to give advance notice of what we are going to do in carrying out investigations that may lead to criminal prosecutions.’

However, he insisted processed meat on British supermarket shelves was safe to eat, and even said he would eat anything, including horse. ‘I’m relaxed about it’, he said. ‘ I’m omnivorous, I’ll eat anything.’

Mr Paterson said it was ‘too early to tell’ how many people may have eaten burgers and kebabs from the firms raided yesterday, or what chemicals could be in them.

Last week Mr Paterson described the scandal, then only linked to horse meat sent from Poland to Ireland, and from Romanian slaughterhouses to the French food company Comigel,  as an ‘international criminal conspiracy’.

Yesterday he said the premises raided in Britain were a separate issue.

A police community support officer stands guard at the gate of the Peter Boddy slaughterhouse

The FSA were ‘working through all those involved in the slaughter of horses … and that work is carrying on, they are looking through invoices and customers lists’, he said.

‘There will be further action, depending on their investigation,’ he said.

He added that when the investigation was over there were likely to be ‘lessons to be learned’, for the agency.

At Prime Minister’s question time, David Cameron said it was ‘appalling’ and ‘completely unacceptable’ that consumers were buying beef products that turned out to contain horse. ‘I do think that this is a serious issue.

People are genuinely worried about what they are buying at the supermarket and I really think we have got to get a grip,’ he said.

‘Retailers I think do bear a real responsibility here.

‘At the end of the day, it is they who are putting products on their shelves and have got to say that they are really clear about where that meat came from, what it was, who it was supplied by.  It is up to them to check that and I think that is vitally important.’

Yesterday a Dutch meat broker, Draap Trading Ltd, was named as a middleman in the horse meat scandal. The company bought some £45,000 of horse meat from a Romanian abattoir, some of which eventually ended up in Britain

News Link:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278342/Danger-drug-UK-horsemeat-Tests-reveal-health-hazard-AFTER-meat-exported-Europe.html#ixzz2Ku0BJdpW
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Horse Recorded As Slaughtered Is Found Wandering The Streets: 11 Months After Supposedly Slaughtered: Q&A How Does The Horse Meat Scandal Effect You?

“I was so happy for this horse, I actually cried when I read his story! But I couldn’t help but feel, so much heartache for the poor horse that took its place; in this heinous, despicable & totally unnecessary bloody business! We kill millions of animals daily around the world, to supply the demand for meat for human consumption; SO WE DO NOT NEED TO BE KILLING EQUINES FOR BURGERS, SAUSAGES OR STEAKS! I hope this makes a lot of people think about what they eat; knowing what drugs my horses have had, I would be worried about my health too. This would definitely stop me eating meat; if not already virtually vegan!! 

A horse recorded as being slaughtered by an Irish abattoir in March 2012 was found wandering the roads of Longford last Sunday in the latest alarming twist in the horsemeat scandal.

Worrying: This horse was found wandering the streets of Ireland 11 months after official records state he was slaughtered, raising fears over the state of the country’s traceability system

The discovery of the small, black and white cob known as ‘Charlie’ – 11 months after official records state he was slaughtered – offers concrete proof of the chaos that the State’s traceability system for horses is in.

Experts last night suggested that Charlie’s horse passport – which would have confirmed that he was safe to enter the food chain – could have been transferred to another, larger horse that would have been banned from doing so.

The latest scandal comes after a week of shocking revelations as the horsemeat scandal that began in Ireland spread right across Europe. 

Frozen food company Findus last night confirmed that it may take legal action against its suppliers after its beef lasagne was found to contain up to 100 per cent horsemeat. The UK Food Standards Authority has said it will carry out tests on beef served in hospitals and schools – although the authorities here said they have no such plans.

The French ministry of agriculture has also begun a criminal investigation into the origin of the lasagne horsemeat, which it believes came from Romania.

Last month, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland discovered forged documents had been used in processing some horses at a reputable abattoir in Limerick. While the documentation initially appeared genuine, the veterinary stamp had in fact been forged. The meat was intended for export to Italy.

The discovery of Charlie came as Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney told TDs that he had tightened up the passport system for tracking horses

In safe hands:Care: Animal charity worker Andrea Kelly with the scanner that identified Charlie

Under the system each horse is issued with its own passport as well as being implanted with a microchip that gives it a unique ID number. ‘A horse is not allowed into the human food chain unless it has a passport and it is microchipped and identified,’ he told the Agriculture Committee.

‘It must be identified within six months of birth, or within the year of birth. We are enforcing those rules now. I am not saying everything was perfect in the past.’ Mr Coveney added that he would act if he was told that the passport system was in disarray – but only if he was given clear evidence.

‘If anyone has evidence to suggest that something continues to be seriously wrong with regard to the slaughtering of horses, I need to hear about it and see it. I cannot act on hearsay.’

However, when the Mail on Sunday put the case of Charlie to the Department of Agriculture, it declined to comment. A spokesman would only repeat yesterday: ‘As stated earlier in the week, the Department doesn’t comment on individual cases.’

The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has repeatedly alleged that passports are switched in order to allow undocumented horses to enter the food chain. Passing horsemeat off as beef offers unscrupulous traders a potential windfall. Horsemeat sells on average for €900 per tonne, while beef costs €3,500.

When the MoS told USPCA chief executive Stephen Philpott yesterday about Charlie, he said: ‘That doesn’t surprise me. The Irish passport system is corrupt. I tried talking to the Irish ministry but no-one would listen. Now they are listening, I had three meetings with Mr Coveney’s staff this week.’

Mr Philpott said passports are regularly moved around. ‘The root of the problem is they recycle the passports like washers.’ He added: ‘Charlie could have been part of a consignment of live horses being illegally shipped through the North for slaughter in England. Maybe he was too small or the horse was sold as a pet for a bit of opportune money-making by the driver.’

Charlie was rescued in a starved state by Hilary Robinson, co-founder of the animal charity Hungry Horse Outside, following an alert by gardaí in Longford town. Two of the horses are female and pregnant but have not been microchipped so cannot be identified. The other horse, a stallion we now know to be named ‘Charlie’, did have a microchip.

To Ms Robinson’s shock when she contacted the department’s registry, an official told her that number belongs to a horse slaughtered in March 2012. The official added the horse was registered to Horse Sport Ireland, the largest passport-issuing body in the State.

Ms Robinson told the MoS: ‘There is no traceability here; this is the third horse we have found like this in the last year. And I would say 60 since 2007 when we started rescuing horses.’

When the MoS contacted Horse Sport Ireland, Norah Byrne in registration confirmed Horse No 372-1414-0493-4674 was slaughtered on March 24 in an abattoir licensed to kill horses for human consumption. This newspaper contacted the slaughterhouse’s directors but they declined to comment.

The current head of clinical pathology at the Irish Equine Centre, Desmond Leadon, said the case of Charlie supports what he found while researching a report on ‘Unwanted Horses in Ireland.’ He said: ‘Something has gone seriously wrong and someone may have manipulated the situation. What you’re saying is consistent with things that are being rumoured.’

When the registered owner of the horse, Bernadette Walsh, was contacted, she was shocked to hear of the pitiful state Charlie had been found in. But she was also very angry at the lack of regulation which allows her name to be on his records when she passed the horse on more than three years ago.

Mrs Walsh, an animal rights activist in Sligo, speculated that because Charlie is smaller than a coloured cob would usually be, his passport could have been sold on illegally. ‘If you have a book for a small horse, you can pass on that book at the marts. I would like to know whether another cob was passed off as Charlie and was slaughtered,’ she said.

While refusing to comment on the issue of Charlie, a Department spokesman said it was working on improving the passport system.

And adding to the concerns of animal welfare groups is the slow progress of introducing the Animal Health and Welfare Bill. It is hoped this will update the existing Protection of Animals Act 1911.

Q&A: HOW THE HORSEMEAT SCANDAL AFFECTS YOU

Where has horsemeat been found in products on sale?

The alarm over the sale of horsemeat first began when a Tesco frozen ‘Value’ beefburger was found to contain 29% horsemeat.

This was discovered during routine testing by the authorities, with the findings made public on January 15. Frozen burgers on sale at Aldi and Lidl were also affected.

Other burgers at Iceland were found to contain traces of horsemeat DNA, but there is no suspicion that the beef was substituted by horsemeat in those instances. This discovery of this low-level contamination – below 1% – was because of the sensitivity of the tests.

There was further alarm on Thursday when Findus announced it had found 60% to 100% levels of horsemeat in its 320g, 350g and 500g packs of frozen beef lasagne. Tesco removed all of these products from its shelves.

And on Friday, Aldi said 30% to 100% horsemeat had been found in its own-brand frozen beef lasagne and spaghetti bolognese. These have also been removed.

What other meat products could contain horsemeat instead of beef?

The products that are considered most at risk of horsemeat contamination are those made from a form of pulverised minced meat. This is known in the food industry as comminuted meat. So tests are under way on frozen and fresh burgers, meatballs, sausages, pies and ready meals such as lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, cottage pie and moussaka.

What should you do if you have a product containing horsemeat in your freezer?

You should return it to the store where you bought it. Supermarkets have agreed to accept returns with no questions asked and to refund customers.

How can you best avoid  buying a contaminated product?

The best advice is to buy fresh raw meat at the supermarket or from a trusted butcher.

What about beef served in places such as hospitals, pubs, restaurants and cafés?

If you are in any doubt, ask at the outlet if they can guarantee their beef supplies.

THE FOUR WAYS TO TRACE A HORSE

There are four main ways to tell one horse from another. These are microchips, passports, the markings on a horse’s coat and its whorls, or the pattern its hair grows in.
Microchips with a barcode are implanted into the horse. Since 2009 all horses (and donkeys and ponies) should have a chip which has been put in by a vet.

This chip carries a unique number and is recorded by the Department of Agriculture as well as the relevant issuing body.
There are now seven issuing agencies in Ireland – one was closed by the Department of Agriculture for irregularities in October of last year.

Since 2004 horse owners should have a passport for each animal they own. Depending on the agency, these can be green, blue or plain white.
Green ones are issued to horses where the breeding of both father and mother can be traced. The passport states the breed of the horse as well as name and address of the owner, and carries the barcode to match the microchip in most cases.

The passport also contains a crucial section known as the Marking Chart. Vets must draw in distinctive markings and whorls on a chart – markings could be a different coloured shape on the horse’s back or white ‘socks’ on the lower legs.

Whorls in horses are as unique as fingerprints in humans – they happen when the hair in a small spot grows in a swirling shape and stands out from the rest of the horse’s coat.

News Link:-: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276287/Horse-abandoned-Ireland-week-ecords-SLAUGHTERED-March.html#ixzz2KhjKn3Lt Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Findus Lasagna 60% to 100% Horsemeat, Find Prompts Call For Processed Beef Advice

“What a surprise…NOT…I wondered when other foods would start to show traces of horse meat; but to have some that are 100% horse meat is criminal. If I wasn’t already vegetarian, I think I would be after this…

People need to be told officially whether they should eat any processed beef foods in the wake of the discovery of horsemeat in Findus lasagne, the shadow environment secretary has said.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh: “It’s not fair… that consumers are being kept in the dark”

Labour’s Mary Creagh accused ministers of “pretending this isn’t happening”.

The government said it was working with businesses to enforce regulations.

The Food Standards Agency has ordered UK retailers to test all processed beef products. Findus has withdrawn its lasagne from sale.

It is the latest company to be caught up in the controversy surrounding contamination of meat products, which has affected companies in the UK, Irish Republic, Poland and France.

Last month, Irish food inspectors announced they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains, including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl.

Findus Beef Lasagne Meals 100% Horsemeat

Published on 8 Feb 2013

Findus not 100% sure whats in there meals

‘Criminality or negligence’

Ms Creagh expressed fears that there were further revelations to come from the food industry.

“What we have had over the last four weeks is a constant drip, drip, drip of revelations from the food industry, from the Food Standards Agency, and what I am worried about is that the more they are testing for horse, the more they are finding,” she said.

She suggested official guidance was needed on whether people should eat other processed foods labelled as containing beef.

“I certainly wouldn’t, but I’m waiting for the government, the experts, the scientists, to tell us and issue proper clear advice for consumers,” she said.

“It’s simply not good enough for ministers to sit at their desks and pretend this isn’t happening.”

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson called the Findus discovery “completely unacceptable” and said the presence of unauthorised ingredients in foods “cannot be tolerated”.

Mr Paterson said the government was working closely with businesses to “root out any illegal activity” and enforce regulations.

“Consumers can be confident that we will take whatever action we consider necessary if we discover evidence of criminality or negligence,” he said.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it was “highly likely” criminal activity was to blame for the contamination.

Chief executive Catherine Brown told the BBC: “I have to say that the two cases of gross contamination that we see here indicates that it is highly likely there has been criminal and fraudulent activity involved.

“We are demanding that food businesses conduct authenticity tests on all beef products, such as beef burgers, meatballs and lasagne, and provide the results to the FSA. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horsemeat.”

The agency has asked for test results by next Friday.

Police in the UK and Europe were involved in the investigations into the contaminated products, the FSA said.

It added: “People have been asking whether it is safe to eat any frozen meat products at the moment.

“There is no reason to suspect that there’s any health issue with frozen food in general, and we wouldn’t advise people to stop eating it.”

Beef Lasagne Meals 100% Horsemeat

Published on 7 Feb 2013

Findus Beef Lasagne Meals 100% Horsemeat
Shoppers who have bought the ready meals have been advised not to eat them and to return them to the shops.
9:51pm UK, Thursday 07 February 2013
Findus.

Apology

The FSA said there was no evidence of a health risk from the contaminated lasagne, but has also ordered Findus to test the products for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or “bute”.

“Animals treated with phenylbutazone are not allowed to enter the food chain as [the drug] may pose a risk to human health,” it said.

Findus

We understand this is a very sensitive subject for consumers”

Findus’s affected products were made by a third-party French supplier, Comigel, which had alerted the company to concerns that the beef lasagne product did not “conform to specification”.

The FSA said Findus had tested 18 of its beef lasagne products and found 11 meals containing between 60% and 100% horsemeat.

Findus had withdrawn its beef lasagne in 320g, 360g and 500g sizes as a precaution on Monday.

The company said: “We understand this is a very sensitive subject for consumers and we would like to reassure you we have reacted immediately. We do not believe this to be a food safety issue.

“We are confident that we have fully resolved this supply chain issue. We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”

It said all its other products had been tested and were not affected.

A statement from the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said it “deplores the latest reported incidents of gross contamination of some processed meat products“.

“The BMPA has urged its members to be vigilant, and to review their raw material and ingredients-sourcing procedures in order to ensure that they meet their responsibilities to produce safe food and to describe and label their products accurately.”

Supermarket chains Tesco and Aldi have also withdrawn some beef products

Earlier this week, Comigel had advised Findus and Aldi to withdraw Findus Beef Lasagne and Aldi’s Today’s Special Frozen Beef Lasagne and Today’s Special Frozen Spaghetti Bolognese.

An Aldi spokesman said its products had been withdrawn immediately and the retailer was carrying out its own investigations.

“The products will remain withdrawn from sale until we are confident that the meat content complies with the specification presented to us,” he said, adding that customers could claim refunds by returning packaged products.

Tesco also decided to withdraw Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese.

The Tesco product was produced at the same Comigel site but there was no evidence of contamination, the supermarket said.

• ‘I didn’t see or handle horsemeat’
• Supermarkets withdraw beef products
• Q&A: Meat contamination

News Link:-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21377601

Horse meat could have been used in beefburgers for years and was detected in chorizo a decade ago

• The Food Standards Agency does not test products for horse meat because it does not pose a risk to public health
• But the FSA found equine DNA in three out of 24 chorizo and pastrami products sold in 2003  
• Scientists demand regular tests for meat products in supermarkets
• Sainsbury’s, Asda and Co-op have removed burgers as a precaution
• Fast food chain Burger King also drawn into the row
• Tesco has paid for full page apology in national newspapers today
• Government tells Commons there could be prosecutions over issue
• Food charity angry that 10million contaminated burgers will be binned, saying they should be handed for free instead

Horse meat could have been in beefburgers for many years because of gaping holes in British food regulations, it emerged today.

The Food Standards Agency is under fire after it admitted testing is not routinely carried out because products laced with horse do not pose a risk to public health.

This is despite FSA scientists finding equine DNA in products sold in three out of 24 chorizo and pastrami products imported from Belgium and Italy and sold in Safeway in 2003.

There are now demands for products to be routinely analysed to ensure UK consumers know exactly what they are eating.

Tim Lang, a professor of food policy at City University in London said: ‘It could have been going on for years but we wouldn’t know about it because we have never conducted tests.

‘For too long we have had light-touch regulation. The Food Standards Agency has to be institutionalised into.

Government Food Minister David Heath said today he backed the FSA’s regime.

‘The FSA carries out its duties in a responsible and professional way. They do take a risk-based approach to testing based on intelligence and I think they are right to do so because that is the way they get the most effective response,’ he told the Commons.

Two studies carried out in 2003 found evidence of imported processed meat containing traces of horse meat.

The first by local authorities in Hull, Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire found three out of 24 salamis contained horse meat. These gourmet products were imported from France and Belgium. Two products were found on sale at a branch of Safeway in Durham, and the other at a Leeds wholesaler.

A second larger research project by the Food Standards Agency found imported chorizo contained traces of horse meat.

Ten million beefburgers are being recalled in the scandal over horse meat contamination as more supermarkets and fast food chain Burger King were drawn into the row.

ABP, which is awaiting results of secondary testing ordered by the Department of Agriculture in Ireland due this evening, said it wants the food binned.

‘We have recommended that the withdrawn product is destroyed,’ the company said.

‘We do not have monetary figures for the product we have recommended be withdrawn, but can confirm it would total around 10 million burgers.’

The FSA has admitted that it is considering taking legal action against companies at the centre of the scandal.

The firms acted because the products were made by an Irish food giant which is known to have been supplying burgers contaminated with horse meat, with some at Tesco containing up to 29 per cent equine DNA.

Tesco has today placed full-page adverts in a number of national newspapers apologising to customers for selling beef burgers containing horse meat.

The supermarket giant has lost £300million off its market value in the last day.

Sorry: Tesco has taken out full page adverts in national newspapers apologising for the ‘unacceptable’ horse meat scandal that has rocked the company

 It has also promised to refund customers who bought the contaminated products, identified as Tesco Everyday Value 8 x Frozen Beef Burgers (397g), Tesco 4 x Frozen Beef Quarter Pounders (454g), and a branded product, Flamehouse Frozen Chargrilled Quarter Pounders.

The alert was first raised by Irish food watchdogs earlier this week after horse DNA was found in burgers sold through Tesco, Iceland, Aldi, Lidl and Dunnes in Ireland.

It subsequently emerged that burgers from the same batches were sold in the British outlets of both Tesco and Iceland. The beef content in one Everyday Value burger sold by Tesco was actually 29 per cent horse meat.
The tests were carried out in November but the results were not released until they had been checked by experts in Germany. It is likely that many thousands of the burgers contaminated with horse meat have been eaten by families.Investigations are focussing on the role of Irish food company, ABP, which is run by controversial entrepreneur Larry Goodman.ABP owns Silvercrest Foods, which supplied burgers containing horse meat to Tesco and Aldi. It also makes cheap burgers for Asda, Co-op and Burger King.

ABP also owns Dalepak, which is based in North Yorkshire and made suspect burgers for Iceland. It also produces 13 lines for Sainsbury’s.

Yesterday, ABP pointed the finger at a mystery ingredient used in the burgers – thought to be a protein powder – supplied by two foreign firms, one in the Netherlands and another in Spain.

The powder – used to bulk up cheap burgers – is supposed to be created from rendered down carcasses of beef animals.

The episode lifts the lid on some of the more distasteful elements and ingredients used to produce cheap food for families on a budget. 

Professor Chris Elliott, director of the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University, Belfast said: ‘What goes into a burger is all the low quality cuts of meat that can’t be sold in any other form. They are at the bottom of the chain.’

The FSA will look at launching legal action with breaches of food labelling rules bringing fines up to £20,000 and a prison term of up to two years.

HORSE MEAT BURGER FIND COULD SPARK PROSECUTIONS

Criminal prosecutions could be brought following the discovery of horse meat in some supermarket beefburgers, the Government said today.

Environment minister David Heath (above right) said standards were generally very high in the British food industry and backed the Food Standards Agency’s risk-based checking system.

Answering an urgent question from Labour’s shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh in the Commons, Mr Heath acknowledged the seriousness of the discovery.

He said: ‘It is very important neither you, nor anyone else in this House, talks down the British food industry at a time when the standards in that industry are of a very high level.

‘Because something has been discovered in Ireland, which is serious, which may lead to criminal proceedings, does not undermine the very serious efforts which are taken by retailers, by processors and by producers in this country to ensure traceability and ensure standards of food that are available to consumers.’

Raising her urgent question, Ms Creagh said: ‘Consumers who avoid pork for religious reasons will be upset they may have unwittingly eaten it and eating horse is strongly culturally taboo in the United Kingdom.

‘It’s not illegal to sell horse meat but it is illegal not to label it correctly.

‘The food industry lobbies vigorously for a light-touch regulation system from Government. Testing, tracking and tracing ingredients is expensive but not testing will cost retailers, processors, British farmers and consumers much more.’

Same supplier: Fast food giant Burger King was drawn into the row today as it uses the same supplier as supermarkets where burgers were found to contain horse meat

 Tesco had no idea about the contamination and has apologised. Its group technical director, Tim Smith, said: ‘Our customers have the right to expect that food they buy is produced to the highest standards.’

Asda, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op all insisted there was no evidence their burgers contain horse meat. However, they decided to withdraw them because they come from firms  which are known to have had this problem

Sainsbury’s said: ‘Although our products have not been implicated, as our customers would expect we treat matters like this extremely seriously.’ Asda said: ‘As soon as we were made aware of the issue we launched a full traceability audit with our supplier.’

Co-op said it was removing two lines of frozen own-brand burgers while tests are carried out ‘to ensure they have been produced to our strict specifications’.

Burger King said it has been given ‘absolute assurance’ by ABP and Silvercrest that none of its burgers were affected. It said its burgers are produced with clean ingredients on a separate production line.

DESTRUCTION OF 10M BURGERS IS WRONG – FOOD CHARITY

The destruction of up to 10 million burgers suspected of containing some levels of horse DNA is morally and ethically wrong, a charity has said.

The UK’s Food Ethics Council said any meat fit for human consumption could be offered to consumers for free.

Dan Crossley, chief executive of the charity, said: ‘It’s wrong to assume straight away that food that is apparently fit for human consumption should go to landfill – if it can be shown to be safe to eat.

‘From a moral and ethical perspective, the amount of food we throw away is nothing short of scandalous, particularly in a world where a billion people are going hungry.

‘We must learn to value the food we eat.’

One of Europe’s biggest suppliers and processors, the ABP Food Group, is among two firms being investigated by health and agriculture authorities in the UK and Ireland over the controversy.

The company said it has recommended destroying up to 10 million frozen burgers which have been withdrawn from shops.

‘Some people will have reservations about eating that meat as there’s the potential to have horse meat in it,’ Mr Crossley said.

‘If the decision was made that it could not be sold through normal channels, they could look at other options like giving it free to people if they wanted it.‘

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