A frozen meat pie produced by a Latvian food manufacturer and distributed in the UK has been found to contain horse DNA.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed today (19 July) that the pie, produced by Latvian firm Galdin Klajies, was found to contain horse DNA at a level of more than 1%. The 200g packs are described on the label as ‘pie with minced meat’ and are distributed in the UK by Monolith UK Ltd.
The FSA said horsemeat was not identified in the ingredients list and therefore should not have been present in the product.
The agency has now requested the product be tested for the presence of phenylbutazone, known as ‘bute’.
The product is supplied to small retail shops in the UK, many of which specialise in products from Eastern Europe, and only one batch was found to be affected. Monolith has informed its customers and withdrawn all supplies.
This is the first finding of horsemeat in a product for some time following the scandal that errupted earlier this year.
In June, the UK government launched a review into the country’s “food system” in the wake of the horsemeat contamination. The study will look at “weaknesses in food supply networks” that could affect food safety and public health.
