Questions about Horse Meat

At the latest full council meeting of Glasgow City Council on 21st February, I asked a question about the horse meat scandal. I opened questions by asking:-

"The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is urgently investigating, in conjunction with other Government departments and the Scottish Government, local authorities and the food industry, how a number of beef products on sale in the UK came to contain horse meat.  It has also been revealed by the FSA that eight horses slaughtered in the UK for food have tested positive for a veterinary painkiller. Please advise what action is being taken by Glasgow City Council to ensure that supplies of beef and beef products are safe and correctly labelled?

In response, Councillor James Coleman of the Labour Administration responded: “I can confirm that 33 inspections are ongoing in city. There's no evidence that legislation has been breached.”

On Friday 22nd February 2013, the Food Standards Agency's latest test results led to Scotland Excel advising local authorities to put a hold on using all frozen beef burger products. Horsemeat DNA was found in a beefburger supplied to North Lanarkshire Council. This is viewed as a precaution while the situation is being fully investigated. To date, no horsemeat DNA has been found in any meat products supplied to Glasgow City Council.

It is clear that reassurance is needed for the public, in particular parents whose children eat school meals.

Useful link:

FSA Update - http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2013/feb/results-second#.USqYBdl4-_I

Greens demand action on school supply chain - http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/news/show/6780/horsemeat-greens-demand-action-on-school-supply-chains