Horsemeat found in Southampton school meals (From Daily Echo)
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Horsemeat found in Southampton school meals
9:18am Saturday 2nd March 2013 in News
Exclusive By Patrick Knox, Senior Reporter
Oasis Academy, Lordshill
SCHOOL pupils in Southampton have eaten horsemeat in their school dinners, the Daily Echo can reveal today.
A supplier has removed all frozen and processed beef products from menus at Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill and Oasis Academy Mayfield after unacceptably high levels of horse DNA were found.
The bags of mince were thought to have been used to make meat dishes served to children between October and last month.
Food firm Sodexo last night admitted that its tests had revealed batches of mince it supplied to the two secondary schools had been contaminated.
The academies’ principal, Ian Golding, and vice principal, Simon Firth, have written to parents informing them of the development.
A joint statement from both academies said: “We can confirm that with immediate effect all frozen and processed beef products have been withdrawn from the academies as a precaution.
We have communicated this to all parents and carers and are assuring that their best interest is at the heart of all we do.
“We will also continue to keep them informed of any further developments.
“Oasis Community Learning has a national contract with Sodexo for the provision of meals in our academies.
“Sodexo has implemented measures to monitor its suppliers in the light of the horsemeat issues. In addition they implemented their own independent sampling programme to test for equine DNA in products supplied to them.”
Sodexo refused to name its supplier while its own investigation was under way.
A spokesman said: “Despite repeated guarantees from our suppliers our sampling has identified frozen beef products which tested positive for equine DNA and we can confirm that affected frozen mince was used by two academies in Southampton.
“However, the amount of mince used in both schools was very small and would have accounted for less than one main dish-worth on one day in a three to four-month period.
“To reassure its customers Sodexo has withdrawn all its frozen beef products and will only re-admit into our catering operations products that have affirmatively passed DNA testing.
“We have notified the Food Standards Agency of our findings and will assist fully in its investigation.”
No contaminated meat has been discovered so far in Hampshire County Council or Southampton City Council schools.
Comments(18)
Linesman
says...
9:41am Sat 2 Mar 13
nedscrumpo
says...
9:57am Sat 2 Mar 13
loosehead
says...
10:10am Sat 2 Mar 13
use local farmers to supply you with meats,vegetables & fruit & local suppliers with written proof the products come from local sources?
ohec
says...
10:49am Sat 2 Mar 13
The main issue is trusting what it says on the box and in that respect we have been badly let down.
skeptik
says...
11:05am Sat 2 Mar 13
Big Mac
says...
11:33am Sat 2 Mar 13
Linesman
says...
11:56am Sat 2 Mar 13
loosehead wrote:Because the Tories wanted it put out to public tender, with the cheapest quote getting the deal.
Why not revert to cooking all meals from scratch at the schools?
use local farmers to supply you with meats,vegetables & fruit & local suppliers with written proof the products come from local sources?
loosehead
says...
12:03pm Sat 2 Mar 13
the problem has been whilst in the EU we can't as a country ban any goods from the EU with out real health reasons/problems so unless we inspect every case & every product we don't really know what they're putting into our produce.
Veggie dishes could be cooked in meat fats or grown in the ground with contaminants causing health issues meat produce( pre cooked meals) haven't got the actual meat in them as the packaging says it has.
This is the benefit of being in the EU.
leave it insist on food producers to buy British first & to package it all here & any brought in from outside (meat & veg)to be tested first before being used to make the product
loosehead
says...
12:05pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Linesman wrote:Linesman we've had how many years of Labour in government since this happened?
loosehead wrote:Because the Tories wanted it put out to public tender, with the cheapest quote getting the deal.
Why not revert to cooking all meals from scratch at the schools?
use local farmers to supply you with meats,vegetables & fruit & local suppliers with written proof the products come from local sources?
why didn't they reverse this then?
I don't have to agree with every Tory policy as we're a broad church what about Labour?
NextPM
says...
12:36pm Sat 2 Mar 13
loosehead wrote:All meat used in City Catering dishes is locally sourced within Hampshire so that's a start!
Why not revert to cooking all meals from scratch at the schools?
use local farmers to supply you with meats,vegetables & fruit & local suppliers with written proof the products come from local sources?
nedscrumpo
says...
12:51pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Frank28
says...
2:25pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Sir Ad E Noid
says...
3:45pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Linesman wrote:Are the Tories to blame for most of the major supermarkets having horse in their products? Of course not, and to suggest that you would be singled out as a bit stupid. To suggest that the Tories are to blame for horse meat in school dinners is wrong. Criminal activity would still be happening if you supplied the best or worst cuts of meat.
loosehead wrote:Because the Tories wanted it put out to public tender, with the cheapest quote getting the deal.
Why not revert to cooking all meals from scratch at the schools?
use local farmers to supply you with meats,vegetables & fruit & local suppliers with written proof the products come from local sources?
taxi driver in southampton
says...
5:38pm Sat 2 Mar 13
Other countries eat horse meat so lets just get over it now and tuck in.
jonone
says...
6:09pm Sun 3 Mar 13
Sir Ad E Noid wrote:You have to remember than Labour voters are thick as pigs**t and used to sitting back and waiting for the world to give them the favour they are owed. Lazy, workshy scum, the lot of them.
Linesman wrote:Are the Tories to blame for most of the major supermarkets having horse in their products? Of course not, and to suggest that you would be singled out as a bit stupid. To suggest that the Tories are to blame for horse meat in school dinners is wrong. Criminal activity would still be happening if you supplied the best or worst cuts of meat.
loosehead wrote:Because the Tories wanted it put out to public tender, with the cheapest quote getting the deal.
Why not revert to cooking all meals from scratch at the schools?
use local farmers to supply you with meats,vegetables & fruit & local suppliers with written proof the products come from local sources?
loosehead
says...
9:24pm Sun 3 Mar 13
user12
says...
1:45pm Mon 4 Mar 13
taxi driver in southampton wrote:Naive little person - Nuclear Scintigraphy is a highly sensitive, alternative imaging modality used in human and veterinary medicine. This modality involves the administration of a radioactive substance (radioisotope) to a horse. Once the radiopharmaceutical has been administered, it will be distributed throughout the body in accordance with its chemical and/or physical properties. The horse will now be
Really who cares, we have been eating it for years and has never done us any harm. Other countries eat horse meat so lets just get over it now and tuck in.
emitting radiation - Still happy to eat horse meat?? You can bet your bottom dollar if they are lying at source they will be lying about source..!! Go forth and glow...!
OSPREYSAINT says...
9:32am Sat 2 Mar 13