UPDATE: FSA release latest test results

The results, from the food industry, follow checks for the presence of horse DNA in products that are labelled as beef.

The main results are:

The overwhelming majority, 3,599 (over 99 per cent), of tests contained no horse DNA at or above the level of 1 per cent.

Thirty five results, representing 13 products, contained horse DNA at or above the 1 per cent threshold. These products have already been named and withdrawn from sale.

Overall, 3,634 results were received from a range of manufacturers, retailers, caterers and wholesalers throughout the UK.

No tests to date on samples containing horse DNA have found the veterinary medicine phenylbutazone (bute).

The FSA’s own formal sampling programme is already well under way and being carried out by several local authorities across the UK, not but Calderdale.

This programme will provide further validation of the testing carried out by the food industry.

Commenting on the industry results, FSA Chief Executive Catherine Brown said: ‘The overwhelming majority of results have come back negative for the presence of horse DNA which is reassuring for consumers.

“However, our work is far from done. The sampling programme being carried out by local authorities on behalf of the FSA is already well under way and we expect to report the initial findings from that work in early March.

“We are also committed to pursuing enforcement action where we can, to ensure that those who were at fault take full responsibility for their actions. We are determined to get to the bottom of this to find out exactly what happened - and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

The scandal has led to three men being arrested and released on bail and operations at the Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden and Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth being suspended.