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Supermarkets still feeling impact of horsemeat scandal
Almost one third of shoppers have lost in faith in their supermarket's ability to provide uncontaminated meat a year on from the horse meat scandal. It emerged horse meat DNA had been found in frozen burgers in mid-January last year.
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UK has 'perhaps the safest food in the world'
British consumers have access to "perhaps the safest food in the world" after the horse meat scandal, according to a food expert.
Barbara Gallani, from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) told Daybreak the Government acknowledged there were "some vulnerabilities, some areas where consumers and business are exposed", which they were dealing with after the horse meat scandal.
"The changes that have been put in place are quite wide-ranging; first of all there are more announced audits in businesses. The testing regime has been reviewed, informed by risk assessments that are now based on a much broader range of data.
"What we have learned is a much better sharing of data and intelligence, to make sure we know where the risks are."
LGA: It's up to manufacturers to ensure food safety
Responding to a study by Which? that highlights the "worrying decline" in local authority food checks a year on from the horsemeat scandal, the Local Government Association said the ultimate responsibility for food safety lies with manufacturers, retailers and suppliers.
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MP calls for improvements to food supply chain
Food supply chains need to be examined and a network of analysts must be set up if the UK is to avoid another horse meat scandal, an influential MP has told Daybreak.
Head of the environment, food and rural affairs committee, Anne McIntosh, said the horse meat scandal had exposed security issues in Britain's food supply chain.
"If you look at the distance that some of the food was travelling that goes into these processed foods - a. It is a false economy, b. The traceability is much more difficult to secure," she said.
"I think we have to accept that retailers are under huge pressure to provide cheap food," Ms McIntosh added.
Beef sales 'down by almost 3%' due to horse meat
Sales of beef products fell by nearly 3% in 2013, according to the latest figures from analysts Kantar.
- The number of frozen burgers and frozen ready meals sold fell by 7.2% and 7.6% respectively.
- Pork sales also declined.
- Sales of lamb soared by 14.2%
Food testing down 6.8% over the past year
There is a "huge variation" in food hygiene standards across the UK, according to a Which? investigation launched in the wake of the horse meat scandal.
Food testing by local authorities fell by 6.8% over the past year, the group found.
The investigation by the consumer group into 395 local authorities across the UK used Food Standards Agency data and found:
- Bexley in London was the poorest performing local authority, with five other London councils in our bottom 10 (Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Richmond upon Thames and Southwark).
- Cherwell District Council in North Oxfordshire was rated as the best performing local authority.
- No official hygiene sampling was carried out at all by Bexley, Christchurch, Isles of Scilly, Medway, Tamworth, West Lindsey and West Yorkshire in 2012/13.
- The overall testing rate fell by 6.8% in 2013.
- Testing for labelling and presentation fell by 16.2%
Shopping habits 'changed' by horse meat scandal
Almost one third are disillusioned with their supermarket after the horse meat scandal at the beginning of last year, a poll for Daybreak has revealed.
A One Poll survey found almost one third no longer had faith in supermarkets after traces of horse DNA were found in Tesco value burgers in mid-January 2013.
More than a third now spent extra time checking the contents of their food, the poll revealed.
A further 25% had stopped buying value food products altogether.