'Several weeks' until tests results are back on products
THE county council has said it could take "several weeks" before it gets results back from the tests it is carrying out on meat products following the horse-meat scandal.
The authority is one of 28 which has been asked to take samples of items on shelves to carry out analysis for horse DNA.
Derby City Council's trading standards team has already visited all four of the meat-processing plants in the area and found no problems.
It said the facilities inspected use only British meat.
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And Derby-based S&A Foods, which produces fresh ready meals for Asda, issued a statement yesterday concerning horse meat.
A spokesman for the firm said: "The company maintains the very highest quality control procedures in all aspects of its production process, including the sourcing of all ingredients used.
"The company sources a limited quantity of beef from a fully accredited supplier that is not linked in any way to the current issue regarding some processed beef products in the UK and Ireland.
"The supplier has complied fully with the Food Standards Agency requirements and, in addition, S&A Foods will continue to conduct its own rigorous internal testing procedures to ensure the quality and safety of its products."
Nationally, horse meat has been discovered in school dinners for the first time since the scandal began – with news that cottage pie testing positive for horse DNA was sent to 47 Lancashire schools coming as the Food Standards Agency published results of widespread testing into meat products.
The FSA said 2,501 tests have been carried out on beef products, with 29 results positive for undeclared horse meat at or above 1%. These 29 results related to seven different products already withdrawn from sale.
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