Oh yes, this is not the first time that meat products on the market did not conform to the labelling. Way back in 2003 horse and donkey meat contamination in food had been reported. Once the outcry died down it was assumed that the problem had gone away. But had it? The recent two findings, connected or otherwise, prove that the consumer has been misdirected.
...The EU is facing a food supply chain that has become too complex- Carmel Lino Vella
The first report was made in mid-January by the Irish Food Inspectorate, which found that burgers from a number of established supermarket brands contained horsemeat in part or in toto. The contamination was linked to a number of countries: the UK, the Irish Republic, France, Sweden and Poland, this last country being considered as being the origin of the horsemeat.
The second report followed when horsemeat was found in processed/cooked meals linking the origin to France, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Romania. Romania was singled out as the supplier of the horsemeat.
Sixteen countries have been affected by this scam.
Beef products marketing is quite extensive with mince, chilled ready meals and burgers being the most popular. It was not only horsemeat that was found but also pork. Out of 27 samples, 10 had horsemeat and 23 had pork DNA.
The presence of pork is not being given importance as it is being claimed that contamination might arise due to the manufacturing of both pork and beef products on the same premises.
Food safety agencies have been declaring that the meat products are safe for human consumption but, ethically, it is unfair for the consumer to devour meat that goes against his/her beliefs and wishes.
Different types of meat are safe for human consumption as long as they originated and were processed in line with established food safety requirements.
So which agency will ensure that the consumer is not tricked into eating, say, kangaroo meat, donkey meat, elephant meat, camel meat etc.?
The European Union must be determined to go to the bottom of all these incidents. It is a fact that the EU has a traceability database: Traces. One can trace the movement of animals, meat and processed food throughout member States, however, the system has not given us an immediate answer to this debacle. Already a month has passed and the consumer has not been given the necessary guarantees.
The recent European Commission advice to all member States to carry out tests for horsemeat is, in reality, a bit late in the day. This should have been immediate as a precautionary measure, not only as guarantee to the consumer but to safeguard those manufacturers that have been in line all through.
The EU is facing a food supply chain that has become too complex. In such a scenario, everyone has been trusting everyone else to provide what they said they were providing.
Are we facing gross incompetence or an international conspiracy, or legislation that has forced manufacturers to source cheap raw material?
The UK scandal is being related to a change in EU legislation where manufacturers had to stop using “desinewed meat” (DSM) as the EU declared that this type of product could not be longer be called meat. This change meant that thousands of tonnes of beef had to be sourced from elsewhere and at a low cost.
DSM was the main ingredient in most value-range burgers, sausages, pies and kebabs. Marketing companies were seeking a low price from the manufacturers and such practice meant it was asking for trouble.
The horsemeat in lasagne is being related to the increase of horse slaughtering in Romania in the wake of legislation prohibiting working horses from being used on the roads.
The possibility of fraud or conspiracy cannot be ignored because a change of labelling can easily take place along the supply chain, especially if the meat products belong to financial companies that never see, inspect or even store them.
There is talk of enhancing the labelling but I ask: can the consumer distinguish between, say, declared value-range and economy products?
With the excuse of having labelling in the different languages on the same package, it is impossible for the consumer at a supermarket to read the small print and decide according to his/her needs. Why should one buy meat under a local brand thinking that it is a local product when, in fact, it was imported? Why should one buy meat that was injected with water?
In practice, the longer and more complex the supply chain, the more difficult it is to control. That is a lesson that we have learned the hard way; this time it was horsemeat, what if next time it would be meat destined for pet products ending in the human food supply chain?
The tests that the EU is requesting to be done by member States would surely uncover further scams.
To me, the best way to avoid nasty surprises is to go to my ‘trusted’ butcher and buy local meat cuts and have them minced for me so that I can then prepare my own tasty safe burger, free of fat and needless ingredients.
Carmel Lino Vella is a vet surgeon.