School meals test negative for horse meat

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TESTS for horse meat in school meals across Worcestershire have so far proved negative.

Worcestershire County Council's Scientific Services took the decision earlier this week to test samples from a number of primary and secondary schools across the county in a bid to reassure parents. It followed the discovery of horse meat in cottage pies destined for schools in Lancashire.

The full results are not expected until next week but of the eight samples tested so far none have been found to contain horse DNA.

Paul Hancock, the council's public analyst and scientific advisor for scientific services, added: "We are one of a small number of local authorities across the country who have a specialist scientific testing facility and we feel it is appropriate that, in light of the recent horse meat issues we should conduct these food tests both to re-assure parents and to help schools ensure that the meals they provide are of the required standard."

The service is one of only 14 in the country and is currently experiencing high demand due to the scandal.

But so far no samples specific to Worcestershire food businesses have been found to contain meat other than that specified on their labelling.

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said they had contacted their suppliers who had confirmed they did not receive any materials from companies so far named in the horse meat scandal.

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