Iceland boss criticises local authorities for driving down food quality

A supermarket boss has accused local authorities of driving down food costs and quality, in the wake of the horse meat scandal.

Traces of horse meat have been discovered in a range of meat products available to the public. Much of the food found to have contained equine DNA was on sale in major supermarkets, but last week it emerged that food served at 47 schools across Lancashire, as well as in some hospitals, had also been affected.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Malcolm Walker, chief executive of food retailer Iceland said: "There's a whole side to this industry which is invisible. That's the catering industry. Schools, hospitals, it's a massive business for cheap food and local authorities award contracts based purely on one thing - price.

"So if you are looking to blame somebody who is driving down food quality it is invisible - it's schools, it's hospitals, it's local authorities who are driving this down."

But the Local Government Association rejected the claims, saying local authorities balanced cost against a range of other factors.

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