January 17, 2007

France recalls corned beef
 

More than 1.2 million cans of French corned beef have been withdrawn from the European market after being suspected of containing meat unfit for human consumption, the farm ministry said.

The suspected meat posed no risk to human health as it had been sterilised and cooked, ministry officials said.

The move followed veterinary checks made last November at Covi, a French meat company supplying ready-to-eat meat dishes. Upon inspection, officials found meat scraps deemed unfit for human consumption, the ministry said in a statement.

The company had already sold about 25 percent of suspect cans to French retailers and exported 35 percent to Britain, Ireland, Greece and Belgium, according to a ministry official.

All 1.2 million cans have been withdrawn, an official said.