British firms may have taken meat in Dutch alert

UK BUSINESSES may have received products from a Dutch company that supplied 50,000 tonnes of meat which may have contained horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

Dutch authorities announced yesterday that the meat was being recalled where possible. The FSA said there was no
reason to suggest that there was a food safety issue.

It said: “Information from the Dutch authorities confirms that there is no reason to suggest this is a food safety issue at this stage.

“The FSA has been informed by the Dutch authorities that a small number of UK businesses may potentially have received products from the company implicated in their investigation.

“The FSA is following up with these businesses as a matter of urgency to determine if they have received products from the Dutch company.”

It said the figure of 50,000 tonnes referred to the total amount of product distributed by the company since January 2011 and across 16 countries in Europe.

The Dutch authorities said the meat, which was sold as beef across Europe, was being recalled because its exact source could not be established.