The ordering of horsemeat tests on beef products has left caterers unsure about what they should do with any beef product stocks they are carrying.
The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) is working today on guidance on this issue for its members who provide meals for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in care homes around the country.
Mary Creagh, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told Radio 4’s Today programme today that she was very anxious about the lack of guidance for those working in public sector catering.
“I am very concerned over the situation with public service caterers. There’s no advice from Government ministers about what they should do,” she said.
She described the news from Findus as ‘appalling’ and wanted testing to look for ‘bute’ a drug commonly given to horses that is known to carry a health risk when ingested by humans..
She told the BBC: “The Irish Government has called in the police and fraud experts to investigate the horse meat fraud, yet complacent British ministers have not and are asleep on the job.
“The latest revelations raise questions about the extent of this scandal, this is no longer just a food safety issue but possibly a criminal trade.
“The public must have confidence that the food they buy is properly labelled, legal and safe to eat whether it is purchased from a supermarket or in a school canteen.”
The latest revelation in the unfolding story is the admission by Findus that some Findus lasagnes were found to contain 100% horsemeat.
Catherine Brown, chief executive of the FSA, said: 'Following our investigations into Findus products, the FSA is now requiring a more robust response from the food industry in order to demonstrate that the food it sells and serves is what it says it is on the label.
“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 horse meat.”
The deadline for these results to be provided to the FSA is 15 February.