Food Standards Agency double horse DNA tests
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced it will extend its UK-wide survey of burgers and similar beef products due to the horsemeat scandal.
At first the FSA were going to test just 224 products across the whole of the UK - now the figure is to be 514.
There are signs here that the FSA is keen to quieten claims that it is testing far too few products - and investing far too little money on the task.
224 samples of raw minced beef products (burgers, minced beef, beef sausage or meat balls etc) will be checked for horse and pork DNA.
Then 140 samples of beef-based ready meals (chilled or canned lasagne, chilli con carne, cottage pie, ravioli, cannelloni and spaghetti Bolognese etc) will be checked for horse and pork DNA.
And now 150 samples will be taken as part of a European Commission survey. Work begins to test the last 150 samples on February 25.