Food contamination
fifth report of session 2013-14, Vol. 1: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence
Description:... The Committee agrees that Ministers must be responsible for policy, but there was confusion about where responsibility lay for responding to the horse meat discovery and urges the Government to reconsider the machinery of government changes it made in 2010 and make the FSA one step removed from the Government departments it reports to. Those responsible for the horsemeat scandal must be identified and prosecuted in order to restore consumer confidence in the UK's frozen meat sector. There was also surprise at the comparatively large number of horse carcasses from the UK which tested positive for the veterinary drug bute. A newly introduced system for testing horses for bute before they are released to the food system must continue with government and industry sharing the cost. The Committee also recommends: the Food Standards Agency must be more effective and given powers to compel industry to carry out food testing when needed; large retailers must carry out regular DNA testing of meat ingredients for frozen and processed meat products, with the costs borne by industry; all test results must be submitted to the FSA and a summary published on the retailers' website; the present system for issuing horse passports must change and a single national database be established in all EU Member States; the FSA should have powers to ensure all local authorities carry out some food sampling each year; local authorities should adopt targeted sampling without requiring intelligence to support it; the Government should ensure there are sufficient, properly trained public analysts in the UK
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