Horse meat scandal hits Leicestershire school meals service

A school meals service in Leicestershire has become the latest to report findings of equine DNA in minced beef, the county council has confirmed.

The beef was pulled from menus after tests revealed it contained less than 1% of equine DNA, the authority said.

Traces of unlisted pork (less than 0.1%) were also found in beef burgers as well as in chopped and shaped beef bought from shop, according to the BBC.

Wendy Philip, county council head of school food, said: "We want to reassure parents that there is no health risk and that we're satisfied with the quality of all the beef products we serve.

"The vast majority of food we supply is Red Tractor-assured and we will continue to regularly seek assurances from our school food suppliers to ensure that they comply with legislation."

The authority, which supplies 224 schools across the county, says its school food service produces 90% of the menu from scratch every day.

A different kind of minced beef will be used as a replacement and another item that was tested, a beef grill steak, contained no trace of horse DNA and has been reinstated on menus.

http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/Articles/27/2/2013/347645/Lancashire-Council-of-Mosques-calls-for-county-school-meals-boycott.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Horse DNA found at Compass, Whitbread and 47 Lancashire schools >>](http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/Articles/15/2/2013/347455/Horse-DNA-found-at-Compass-Whitbread-and-47-Lancashire-schools.htm)

[Lancashire Council of Mosques calls for county school meals boycott >>