FSA backtracks over Whitbread burger horse meat find

09 April 2013 by
FSA backtracks over Whitbread burger horse meat find

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has backtracked on the results of a test that showed a Whitbread burger contained horse DNA at a level of 1%, at the same time as confirming two more contaminated products from other manufacturers.

The agency revised its statement on the Whitbread burger, originally made on 26 March, saying: "The FSA has now received further test results that have confirmed the level of DNA to be under the reporting threshold. However, Whitbread will remain on the list of brands named on the FSA's consumer advice webpage as it has reported other positive results as part of the testing carried out by the food industry."

Meanwhile, the FSA confirmed results for four of the remaining five samples relating to the its UK-wide sampling programme of beef products.

All five of the products were withdrawn from sale following receipt of the first test results, and these results had been challenged.

Today the FSA confirmed that it had found horse DNA at or above the 1% threshold for reporting in a burger purchased from Nefyn Pizza & Kebab House in Gwynedd and manufactured by the Burger Manufacturing Company (BMC), and in a beefburger purchased from Pig Out in Walsall and manufactured by King Fry Meat Products Ltd.

Neither was found to contain the veterinary drug bute (phenylbutazone) or pig DNA.

The two other samples, which did not contain horse DNA, were also tested for the presence of pig DNA. These results have now been confirmed as below 1%. Neither product was labelled as halal or kosher.

Just one result still remains to be reported.

FSA confirms 352 clear results out of 362 tests for horse and pig DNA >>

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