West Berks school meals being tested for horsemeat

As well as labelling issues, the current crisis is prompted by fears that phenylbutazone – an anti-inflammatory drug given to horses not intended for consumption – could have implications for human health.
However, local butchers have found a silver lining in the scandal sweeping the nation in which possibly contaminated horse meat was passed off as beef in several major supermarket chains – their trade is booming.
And award-winning chef proprietor of The Plough at Eastbury, Graham White, who has long-championed local produce, is planning to make his point about labelling and traceability by offering properly-sourced, homemade, gourmet horse burgers to customers in the ‘Valley of the Racecourse’.
After the Food Standards Agency announced that companies supplying schools will be included in tough new tests, the NWN asked West Berkshire Council whether it could reassure parents that meat in its school meals was uncontaminated.
Council spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton responded with a statement from its school meals suppliers, ISS, which read, “every step has been taken to ensure the integrity of our food chain.”
However the statement continued: “Statements from our suppliers are being made available to our clients as soon as they are published.”
ISS spokesman Craig Smith later confirmed that the company was awaiting the results of species DNA tests from some of its suppliers. He said: “We would expect them to share these with us as a matter of course. We want to show customers the provenance of their food, from farm to fork.”
The executive councillor for public protection, Hilary Cole (Con, Chieveley), said: “We are relying on our suppliers to look at their supply chain and to tell us the results.”
She said that West Berkshire trading standards had also been proactive in arranging tests on local supermarket meat.
A spokesman for the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, Joe Wise, said: “The [NHS] trust has contacted all of its suppliers to ask for written assurance about the integrity of any processed meat supplied. In the meantime, we continue to follow the national advice from the FSA that, unless advised otherwise, the current supply of meat is safe for consumption.”
Horsemeat is considered a delicacy in some European countries, and Mr White, of The Plough, said that he was making the point by planning to offer it for sale at his pub restaurant.
The chef proprietor, who has previously dished up sweetbreads and even lamb’s testicles at the Royal County of Berkshire Show, said: “I was actually planning to offer a tasting evening before the scandal broke.
"It’s a sweet, low-fat meat and often highly-prized.
"I know this is the Valley of the Racehorse and it might raise some eyebrows, but lots of customers have expressed an interest in trying it.
"The main thing is, as with all produce, that it’s properly sourced.”
Mr White said the latest scandal “might make people realise some of the rubbish they’re eating”, and added: “Traceability has gone out the window in some cases. In some respects, this can only do good for producers of local, quality ingredients.”
Butchers were indeed making the most of the crisis, with Griffins in Newbury, Cook and Butcher in Thatcham and Bastable Brothers, Kintbury, all reporting a sudden upturn in trade.
Sam Vine, of Griffins, said: “Mince has been especially popular. It’s about knowing where your food comes from and it’s all people are talking about now.
"They know they can trust us 100 per cent.”
Pete Congerton, of Cook and Butcher, said: “Many people are saying they’re never going back to a supermarket for meat.
"We butcher everything on site and make all our own burgers and sausages.”
Apprentice butcher at Bastable Brothers, Matthew Bullock, said: “We’ve seen some new faces as a result and sales of our frozen meals, made by our own chef, are definitely up.”