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1、11 February 2013 Last updated at 12:41 GMTQ&A: Meat contaminationThe government has said that all processed beef products on sale in the UK are safe to eat despite up to 100% horsemeat being found in some Aldi and Findus products, which were removed from shelves last week. It follows the discovery o
2、f horsemeat in some burgers.Should I throw away the meat I have bought if I suspect it might be horsemeat?Horsemeat itself should be no more dangerous than beef and is eaten in many countries around the world.But the UKs Food Standards Agency (FSA) has ordered tests to make sure a drug given to hors
3、es which is dangerous when used by humans - known as bute (phenylbutazone) - has not entered the food chain.Decades ago it was used as a treatment for gout and arthritis, but it caused a serious blood disorder, aplastic anaemia, in rare cases. While it was banned for human use, it is still used for
4、animals. However, it is not allowed to enter the human food chain. If people have any of the affected meals lurking in their freezer, they are advised to return them to the store they were purchased from. The UKs Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has stressed that nothing seen so far presented a h
5、ealth risk and that he would have no hesitation at all about eating recalled products. The government has advised people to carry on with their normal shopping habits unless told otherwise. How widespread is the problem?Food retailers in the UK have been told to carry out tests on all processed beef
6、 products after some Findus lasagne as well as some Aldi lasagne and spaghetti bolognese - all made by the Comigel food processing company in France - were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat.Findus has also withdrawn ready meals in France and Sweden.In France, where seven supermarket chains have
7、withdrawn all frozen beef meals made by Findus and Comigel, an initial investigation has found that horsemeat sold as beef originated from Romanian slaughterhouses, before being sold to a Dutch food trader, then on to a Cypriot trader and on again to a French firm.It is feared up to 16 EU countries
8、may be affected.Environment Secretary Mr Paterson says he suspects a criminal international conspiracyMeanwhile, in mid-January, Irish food inspectors announced they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl. Two weeks later, p
9、ig DNA was found in supposedly halal products for Muslim prisoners. Earlier this month, it was reported that equine DNA had been found at a third factory in Ireland and tests commissioned by the FSA found horsemeat at a cold store in Newry, County Down. Full list of products withdrawn in the UK Who
10、is responsible for checking and enforcing standards?The Food Standards Agency is responsible for food safety and food hygiene in the UK, and its work is conducted by local authority inspectors. It tested almost 80,000 samples of food last year and focuses on those risks that can make people ill or w
11、orse including looking for arsenic and listeria.But the company has not been responsible for DNA testing to show whether meat is authentic.What is being done?The FSA has ordered authenticity tests on all processed beef products and has given a deadline of Friday 15 February for the first set of resu
12、lts. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has warned they could provide more bad news.He has already said a moratorium on EU meat imports, which has been called for, was not allowed under EU rules.Following a summit at the weekend with heads of meat retailers and suppliers, he said they had agreed to
13、 carry out more and tougher testing of beef products with results to be published every three months by the FSA.In France, there will be a similar meeting for representatives of the food industry.Findus France says it has been the victim of fraud and will take action in the French courts. The compan
14、y that supplied the meat, Spanghero, based in southern France, also says it has been a victim and that it plans to sue its Romanian supplier. Officials in Romania, where more than 25 abattoirs are authorised to butcher horsemeat and export it, are investigating claims the meat originated there.In No
15、rthern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - in the cases of the contaminated burgers - police have been asked to consider whether the contamination was accidental, in terms of labelling, or whether it was the result of fraudulent activity.What products have been recalled?A number of products have b
16、een withdrawn from sale in the UK after samples were found to contain varying levels of horsemeat, including just trace levels in some cases. Anyone who still has them in their freezers is advised to return them to the shop and obtain a refund.Among them are:Findus beef lasagne - in 320g, 360g and 500g portions.Aldi - Todays Special frozen beef lasagne and Todays Special frozen spaghetti bologneseTesco - Everyda
