February 19, 2014

After the first round of tests last year that found 4.6% of beef products on sale across the EU contained undeclared horse meat, a second round of testing for horse meat across the EU is set to be completed by the end of July 2014.

A European Commission recommendation to carry out further tests was endorsed by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain, with each member state to determine its own timetable for testing.

"Although there have not been any public health implications in connection with this food fraud, there has been a very clear reaction from consumers following this scandal that controls need to be stepped up," the Commission said in a statement.

Following the discovery of horse meat in products labelled as 100% beef last year, the Commission also released a memo on the actions taken and still to be taken. Among lessons learned, it said the crisis confirmed the need for better cross-border controls among national enforcement authorities, in order to tackle food fraud.

The memo also suggested that mandatory origin labelling could be extended in line with the Food Information for Consumers (FIC) regulation, set to become law in December. By the end of this year, a final report is due to be released, looking into whether origin labelling should also apply to meat ingredients, milk, milk as an ingredient, and other unprocessed foods, among others.