Primary school pupils were served beef mince containing horse meat, council reveals
CHILDREN at almost 50 primary schools were served meals containing horse meat, a council has revealed.
Bath & North East Somerset Council, which is in charge of schools in Keynsham, the Chew valley, Radstock and Midsomer Norton, announced tonight that beef mince sent by its school meals supplier Welsh Bros Foods in December had been found to contain 1 per cent horse meat.
The council has withdrawn minced beef from school dinner menus and sent letters to or telephoned head teachers at the schools affected, asking them to inform parents.
The mince was sent to 49 primary schools, ten early years centres, and two schools outside of the district which use its meals service.
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B&NES did not say which of its 62 primary schools were affected.
A council spokesman said: "Like many other local authorities across the West of England and South Wales, Bath & North East Somerset Council was informed yesterday by its school meals supplier Welsh Bros Foods that a batch of Beef Mince distributed to us in mid-December contained a very small amount of horse meat – 1 per cent.
"No other meat product is affected."
The spokesman said all Welsh Bros Foods beef mince products had been withdrawn from all schools, all beef mince stocks had been disposed of, regardless of the batch number and menus had been changed to remove beef mince.
"We are confident the menu is free of all traces of horsemeat," the spokesman added.
The council said the Food Standards Agency had stressed that there was no evidence of a food safety risk to consumers from horse meat.
Newport-based Welsh Bros Foods has described the horsemeat discovery as a shock.
Managing director Alan Haycock said they had received an e-mail to say that a test had come back positive.
Mr Haycock said trading standards were investigating and the company was waiting for further information.
“We’re very busy contacting our customers now and letting them know,” he said.
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