School meals contained horsemeat, admits Bath and North East Somerset Council
School meals in and around Bath contained a small amount of horsemeat, it was revealed today.
A batch of beef mince containing one per cent of horsemeat was received by 49 primary schools and 10 early years centres across Bath and North East Somerset, the council said.
Two other schools from outside the district also took delivery of the batch.
The authority has withdrawn all beef mince products from its school meals supplier, Welsh Bros Foods, and disposed of any stock, a statement has confirmed.
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Menus in the district's schools have been altered and no meals containing beef mince will be served following the discovery.
B&NES said it was confident that all meals are now free of all traces of horsemeat.
The move comes after Welsh Bros Foods informed the council that a batch of beef mince distributed in mid-December contained a small amount of horsemeat.
Welsh Bros Foods said tests revealed the batch contained one per cent of horsemeat.
Head teachers and early years centre managers have been told about the discovery and urged to inform parents.
B&NES also pointed to advice from the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) which stresses that there was no evidence of food safety risks from horsemeat.
Newort-based Welsh Bros Foods has described the horsemeat discovery as a shock.
Managing director Alan Haycock said they had received an email to say that a test had come back positive.
Mr Haycock said trading standards were investigating and the company was waiting for further information.
“We’re very busy contacting our customers now and letting them know,” he said.
Earlier this month Welsh Bros Foods said it had not been caught up in the horsemeat scandal.
A statement from Welsh Bros Foods, sent to This is Bath by a spokesperson for Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “Welsh Bros Foods do not purchase or process any horsemeat.
“Burgers are produced from forequarter meat and trims from carcasses purchased from approved licensed abattoirs in the UK.
“Welsh Bros Foods produces all of its burgers in house to its own recipes. Welsh Bros Foods does not procure any burgers from anybody else.
“Welsh Bros Foods has as a matter of precaution and re-assurance already submitted burgers, beef mince and beef trims to a laboratory for testing for the presence of horsemeat DNA. All tests were negative for the presence of horse DNA.
“Welsh Bros Foods will be submitting further samples to be tested for the presence of horse DNA on Monday 11.02.13. This is for reassurance purposes only.”
11 Comments
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by Imp-Act
Friday, March 01 2013, 10:49PM
“HP has taken on a new meaning!”
by Dave_Weston
Friday, March 01 2013, 9:46AM
“Interesting that this came out on the same day Frenchay Health Trust were awarded a silver award by the Soil Association for the quality of their hospital meals. Guy from the trust said they sourced all their stuff directly from local suppliers so they could trace where it came from - didn't work out much more expensive than the cheap rubbish and was healthier. I note also that Beechen Cliff has or did have a chef who sources his own stuff very carefully. Lessons to be learned I think - support local farmers and producers rather than the pile it high hose it off the carcass merchants.”
by yournamehere
Friday, March 01 2013, 1:38AM
“Horse meat is an expensive commodity, the horse meat that is being found is most probably the **** that they can't sell like pieces of organ and such. They found DNA there's no telling what part of the animal it is, at lease with beef we had some knowledge. Also as a horse owner I am devastated that I could have eaten an animal that is so close to me, when children ask their parents for ponies I don't think this is what they had in mind.”
by MoeXXX
Thursday, February 28 2013, 11:47PM
“Imp Act, by "food inspectors" I guess you mean the FSA, who were probably too busy being sacked by the incumbent government to do much food inspection or take any backhanders.”
by Imp-Act
Thursday, February 28 2013, 10:17PM
“I only buy meat (inc. sausages, black pudding etc.) at the local butcher as I just don't like the look of the processed meat products OR any meat from supermarkets unless it is from their butcher department and I can pick out what cuts I require! As for these 'Neddy to go Meals' they are just a none starter in my book. Dog food companies tell that they do not use horse meat in their products; So I always wondered just where ALL the horse meat ended up! Now we know.. FINDUS, BIRDSEYE etc. buy it on the cheap, mix it up with 'PINK SLIME' and god only knows what eles and sell it on to make nice fat profits! ALL tin foods, frozen foods inc. pies, hot dogs, burgers etc. with a 'meat' content should be avoided because these companies have proven beyond doubt that they JUST DON'T GIVE A DAMN! WHERE are/were their so called food inspectors? Being paid nice back handers to keep stum!
ps CaptainD I was wondering why so many folk looked so KNACKERD!”
by jezer
Thursday, February 28 2013, 9:39PM
“Quite right, and all the more reason to eschew meat in favour of vehetables and the occasional fish.”
by Mr_Nemo
Thursday, February 28 2013, 9:29PM
“".....there's nothing wrong with horse meat as such, it's just the misleading descriptions given to it...."
...and also the antibiotics which it may contain which are not allowed in the human food chain.”
by jezer
Thursday, February 28 2013, 7:03PM
“There's nothing wrong with horse meat as such, it's just the misleading descriptions given to it. I just feel a bit smug, as being someone who doesn't eat meat I have not been subjected to it.”
by wheelie_bin
Thursday, February 28 2013, 6:47PM
“Horsemeat sounds like an improvent on the spam fritters they used to feed us.”
by jezer
Thursday, February 28 2013, 5:52PM
“When I was at school in the early 60's our school dinners were awful. No vegetarian options at all, and no choice other than suspect meat and loads of mashed potato. I don't remember many vegetables being on offer. I'm not sure how I have survived for so long.”