European Horsemeat Scandal

European Union officials will meet tomorrow in Brussels, Belgium to discuss the horsemeat scandal that is sweeping the continent.

Since the news broke in January that horse DNA had been found in frozen “beef” burgers from the retailer Tesco, in Ireland and Britain, numerous products from several suppliers, have been pulled from store shelves in the United Kingdom, France and Sweden, containing up to 100 per cent horse meat in some cases.

Investigations have been launched into the origin of tainted meat, and officials say that as many as 16 European nations may be involved. At this point, it is unclear whether fraud, negligence or regulations changes are to blame.

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In the UK, some point to a switch from domestic to foreign meat suppliers as the cause. In 2012, new European regulations deemed that “desinewed meat” (a fine mince derived from carcasses, and the main ingredient in value-range meat products) could no longer be called meat on packages. As such, thousands of tonnes of meat had to be sourced inexpensively elsewhere. Companies were given little notice of the change, made by the European Commission, and the government did not intervene in any way.

There is an apparent fracture in the food safety industry in the UK with responsibilities split between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who handle food labelling and composition, and the Food Standards Agency, who are tasked with ensuring food safety. Previously the FSA served as the governing body for food safety, but was stripped of its role in 2010.

Another theory claims that a ban of horses and donkeys on Romanian roads has led to a surplus of equine meat, which may have found its way into products sold in the UK, France and Sweden. Officials are probing the two French companies that handled the meat to determine whether they knew the meat was not actually beef.

It has also been hinted that organized crime – namely the Polish and Italian mafias – is responsible for substituting horsemeat for beef during food production.

For a comprehensive report on those involved, read the CNN report on the matter. Stay tuned for updates.