Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Safety
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • PODCAST
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Food Safety Five Newsreel
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Videos
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MORE
    • ENEWSLETTER >
      • Archive Issues
      • Subscribe to eNews
    • Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • WEBINARS
  • FOOD SAFETY SUMMIT
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
News

No News Is Good News in European Horse Meat Tests

July 22, 2014

The latest round of industry and European Union (EU) testing published today found no horse meat DNA in meat products at or above the 1% reporting threshold, according to the UK's Food Standards Agency.

Since 2013, the FSA has been working with the European Commission and industry on an extensive program of testing to detect horse meat in other meat products. These tests were carried out to check that beef products on sale or supplied into the UK food supply were accurately labeled and did not contain horse meat or horse DNA, following the discovery of horse meat in a range of products for sale across Europe.

Fourth quarterly report

The FSA has published its fourth quarterly report of industry results from the testing of meat products for horse meat or horse DNA. The report includes 3,395 new results for beef products, and 2,466 results for other (non-beef) meat products. These figures include all test results submitted since the compilation of the third report, published in January 2014.

The food industry has continued to test meat products for the presence of horse meat/DNA since the previous quarterly update. A total of 50,876 results for horse meat/DNA in meat products have been submitted by industry to the FSA since Feb. 15, 2013. Of these, 47 samples were positive for horse meat or horse DNA. However, no new positive results have been reported since the first quarterly report in June 2013.

Results of second round of EU-wide testing

In addition to the industry testing, the UK also participated in a second round of EU-wide testing for undeclared horse meat in processed beef products. The latest round of 150 samples were taken by 24 local authorities and found no traces of horse meat. The majority of samples were taken in the first two weeks of the sampling period, which ran from April 21 to June 16, 2014.

A range of processed beef products were tested for undeclared horse meat as part of this EU-wide survey requested by the European Commission. These included ready meals containing beef, canned beef products, beef sausages, beef burgers, minced beef and beef meatballs.

Sampling and analysis

Local authorities were asked to take samples from retail outlets including major and medium sized supermarkets and smaller shops and butchers. They were also asked to sample from wholesale "cash and carry" premises and manufacturers supplying retailers or mass caterers. This included businesses supplying public institutions such as schools, prisons and hospitals.

A small number of composition/labeling issues were detected in relation to the presence of other meats (not horse). Local authority enforcement officers are taking action to address non-compliance in all these cases.


Author(s): Staff

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • people holding baby chicks

    Serovar Differences Matter: Utility of Deep Serotyping in Broiler Production and Processing

    This article discusses the significance of Salmonella in...
    Food Type
    By: Nikki Shariat Ph.D.
  • woman washing hands

    Building a Culture of Hygiene in the Food Processing Plant

    Everyone entering a food processing facility needs to...
    Food Prep/Handling
    By: Richard F. Stier, M.S.
  • graphical representation of earth over dirt

    Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety: Building Climate Resilience

    This article examines the multifaceted threats to food...
    Contamination Control
    By: Maria Cristina Tirado Ph.D., D.V.M. and Shamini Albert Raj M.A.
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Safety Magazine audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Safety Magazine or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Deli Salads
    Sponsored byCorbion

    How Food Safety is Becoming the Ultimate Differentiator in Refrigerated and Prepared Foods

Popular Stories

Image of Tyson Foods logo and the logos of Tyson Foods brands

Tyson Foods is Reformulating Food Products to Eliminate Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes

Top view of several sandwiches

FDA Provides Update on Listeria Outbreak Related to Products of Fresh & Ready Foods LLC

Image of container spilling red powder

FDA Approves Three Food Colors from Natural Sources

Events

June 12, 2025

Additive Bans Ahead: Your Guide to Avoiding Risk and Maintaining Agility

Live: June 12, 2025 at 12:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn how ingredient bans will impact product development, labeling, and sourcing.

View All

Products

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

Global Food Safety Microbial Interventions and Molecular Advancements

See More Products
Environmental Monitoring Excellence eBook

Related Articles

  • FSA Says Tests Find No Horse Meat in UK Beef for Past Quarter

    See More
  • NARMS: Good and Bad News for Antibiotic Resistance in Foodborne Germs

    See More
  • commercial swine farm

    Good News From USDA: U.S. Pork Supply Free of Trichinella Parasite

    See More
×

Never miss the latest news and trends driving the food safety industry

eNewsletter | Website | eMagazine

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing