In an on-going saga, the UK's Food Standards Agency has found more traces of horse meat in frozen meat products in a cold store in Northern Ireland.
More horse meat in burgers
Of the 12 samples from the suspect consignment that have been tested, two of the samples came back positive for horse meat, at around 80 per cent.
© 2013 by Len Rizzi
As part of its ongoing investigation into mislabelled meat, the FSA tested a quantity of frozen meat detained in a cold store on the premises of a company called Freeza Meats in Northern Ireland, which is potentially linked to the Silvercrest factory in the Republic of Ireland.
Silvercrest was the supplier of beef burgers that contained horse DNA, identified in a survey carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
Of the 12 samples from the suspect consignment that have been tested, two of the samples came back positive for horse meat, at around 80 per cent.
The investigation into the traceability of these raw materials and their source is under way.
The FSA said that as the meat was detained, it has not entered the food chain.
The FSA has also agreed with the food industry to publish the results of industry testing of meat products, to provide a clearer picture of standards in the food chain. The results will also be made publicly available.
The decision was taken at a meeting to address how testing can maintain consumer confidence in the accuracy of food labelling, attended by Food and Farming Minister David Heath, representatives of the FSA, and major food businesses and suppliers.
Catherine Brown, Chief Executive of the FSA, said: "I am pleased that we have been able to agree a way forward to maintain consumer confidence in the food that people eat. We need to move swiftly to get this work under way to reassure consumers.
In the Irish Republic, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney said the has received a test result confirming 75 per cent equine DNA in a raw material ingredient at Rangeland Foods, Co Monaghan.
The Department has been conducting further enquiries to establish whether Polish labelled product has been used in other meat processing plants in Ireland following the results at Silvercrest. These enquiries remain ongoing.
Because of these latest findings, added to the facts uncovered in the investigation at Silvercrest and enquiries north of the border, the Minister has ordered the involvement of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Department.