在這項消息之前，德國連鎖廉價超市Lidl昨天已將調理食品從芬蘭、丹麥、瑞典和比利時商店下架，因為這些產品也證實摻雜馬肉。
同時，因為據稱把750噸馬肉混充成牛肉，而引發全歐食品警訊的法國公司，獲准可以恢復生產絞肉、香腸與即食食品。不過，法國農業部長勒佛勒（Stephane Le Foll）告訴法新社，把馬肉摻進450萬件「牛肉」產品並銷至歐洲各地的廠商史班傑洛（Spanghero），不准再儲藏冷凍肉品。
全球最大食品公司雀巢在聲明中說，「我們在兩件產品中驗出馬肉DNA的蹤跡。」「誤標產品意味著，他們無法達成消費者期許我們達到的高標準。」因此，公司「自動」立即自義大利與西班牙銷路「撤下」兩件冷凍義大利麵產品，Buitoni Beef Ravioli與Beef Tortellini。
2.10 Horsemeat row: Don't dump meat, says food minister...
英國先發...
European Union ministers have called for more intensive meat product
testing for a month amid a growing scandal involving horsemeat being
sold as beef. The affair led to food recalls across the continent.
"The test will be on DNA in meat products in all member states,"
European Union Health Commissioner Tonio Borg told reporters Wednesday
after a ministerial meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing scandal.
The emergency meeting was attended by countries most affected by the horsemeat affair, including Britain, Ireland, France and Romania. Representatives from Poland, Luxembourg and Sweden were also present Wednesday.
The scandal was sparked after horsemeat was found in burgers in Ireland last month following routine testing. Millions of burgers and frozen meals have been recalled across Europe in the aftermath.
Ireland's Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who chaired the
meeting, suggested the scandal would spread to more countries as more
beef tests were conducted.
"Once we got the positive test and the investigation was under way, obviously other countries followed suit," said Coveney. "As they tested they found that the problem has been getting bigger and bigger."
Earlier Wednesday, Germany said it was investigating whether a shipment of frozen lasagna in North Rhine-Westphalia contained horsemeat following a tip-off from EU authorities. Supermarkets in Norway and Denmark have also recalled suspicious products.
EU officials are still looking for the source of the suspected horsemeat fraud.
Drug testing
European Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said that in addition to testing for horsemeat, the EU was calling on all of its 27 members to run checks for the equine veterinary drug, phenylbutazone. It can be dangerous to humans in all establishments handling raw horsemeat.
In the first month, there would be 4,000 tests for the drug, also known as Bute, and another 2,500 for horsemeat, with initial results due April 15.
Also suggested was that investigations be coordinated by the EU's Europol law enforcement agency.
The commission's proposals will be examined at an extraordinary meeting of the EU's Standing Committee on the Food Chain on Friday, and if approved will go to EU agricultural ministers on February 25.
dr/av (AP, Reuters, AFP)
The emergency meeting was attended by countries most affected by the horsemeat affair, including Britain, Ireland, France and Romania. Representatives from Poland, Luxembourg and Sweden were also present Wednesday.
The scandal was sparked after horsemeat was found in burgers in Ireland last month following routine testing. Millions of burgers and frozen meals have been recalled across Europe in the aftermath.
"Once we got the positive test and the investigation was under way, obviously other countries followed suit," said Coveney. "As they tested they found that the problem has been getting bigger and bigger."
Earlier Wednesday, Germany said it was investigating whether a shipment of frozen lasagna in North Rhine-Westphalia contained horsemeat following a tip-off from EU authorities. Supermarkets in Norway and Denmark have also recalled suspicious products.
EU officials are still looking for the source of the suspected horsemeat fraud.
Drug testing
European Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said that in addition to testing for horsemeat, the EU was calling on all of its 27 members to run checks for the equine veterinary drug, phenylbutazone. It can be dangerous to humans in all establishments handling raw horsemeat.
In the first month, there would be 4,000 tests for the drug, also known as Bute, and another 2,500 for horsemeat, with initial results due April 15.
Also suggested was that investigations be coordinated by the EU's Europol law enforcement agency.
The commission's proposals will be examined at an extraordinary meeting of the EU's Standing Committee on the Food Chain on Friday, and if approved will go to EU agricultural ministers on February 25.
dr/av (AP, Reuters, AFP)
British authorities believe a horse medication may have entered the food
chain in France. The growing horsemeat has caused supermarkets across
Europe to pull food products from their shelves.
Britain's environment minister, David Heath, told the House of Commons
on Thursday that the carcasses of eight horses from British abattoirs
had tested positive for bute, or phenylbutazone.
"Three may have entered the food chain in France. The remaining five have not gone into the food chain," he said.
However, the number of carcasses whose meat may have entered the food chain appeared to be in dispute, with Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) saying six horses slaughtered in the country were exported to France and may have entered the food chain. It said it was working with French authorities to trace the carcasses.
Phenylbutazone is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug commonly used on horses but it is generally considered to be harmful if eaten by humans.
However, England's chief medical officer, Sally Davies said it was occasionally prescribed to patients suffering from severe arthritis. She also played down the danger of people becoming ill in the current case.
"In patients who have been taking phenylbutazone as a medicine, there
can be serious side-effects but these are rare. It is extremely unlikely
that anyone who has eaten horsemeat containing bute will experience one
of these side effects," she said.
The UK environment minister's announcement came a day after the European Union's health commissioner called on the bloc's 27 member states to conduct DNA testing on meat products to determine whether they contain horsemeat.
"No one has the right to label as beef something that is not beef," he said. "Someone will be held responsible, even criminally responsible," Tonio Borg said.
Also on Wednesday, the scandal spread to Germany, with the Real supermarket chain saying in a statement that testing had found that lasagna sold under its “Tip” brand had been found to contain "traces of horsemeat." The retailer had already pulled the product from its shelves last Friday as a precaution.
Samples taken in Britain and other countries affected have found much larger quantities of horsemeat in products labled as containing beef.
On Thursday, Germany's consumer minister, Ilse Aigner, called for criminal investigators to take up the case.
"We are apparently dealing with a unique case of consumer deception," she said in an interview with German public television. "Therefore this scandal is not just a case for the food safety agencies, but also clearly for the police and justice system."
pfd/jr (dpa, Reuteras, AP, AFP)
"Three may have entered the food chain in France. The remaining five have not gone into the food chain," he said.
However, the number of carcasses whose meat may have entered the food chain appeared to be in dispute, with Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) saying six horses slaughtered in the country were exported to France and may have entered the food chain. It said it was working with French authorities to trace the carcasses.
Phenylbutazone is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug commonly used on horses but it is generally considered to be harmful if eaten by humans.
However, England's chief medical officer, Sally Davies said it was occasionally prescribed to patients suffering from severe arthritis. She also played down the danger of people becoming ill in the current case.
The UK environment minister's announcement came a day after the European Union's health commissioner called on the bloc's 27 member states to conduct DNA testing on meat products to determine whether they contain horsemeat.
"No one has the right to label as beef something that is not beef," he said. "Someone will be held responsible, even criminally responsible," Tonio Borg said.
Also on Wednesday, the scandal spread to Germany, with the Real supermarket chain saying in a statement that testing had found that lasagna sold under its “Tip” brand had been found to contain "traces of horsemeat." The retailer had already pulled the product from its shelves last Friday as a precaution.
Samples taken in Britain and other countries affected have found much larger quantities of horsemeat in products labled as containing beef.
On Thursday, Germany's consumer minister, Ilse Aigner, called for criminal investigators to take up the case.
"We are apparently dealing with a unique case of consumer deception," she said in an interview with German public television. "Therefore this scandal is not just a case for the food safety agencies, but also clearly for the police and justice system."
pfd/jr (dpa, Reuteras, AP, AFP)
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