FSA delayed horsemeat testing before crisis

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) explored the idea of testing all horses slaughtered in the UK months before the horsemeat food crisis began in January.

But the agency was concerned that the costs of extra testing would cause every horse abattoir to close down.

Without the faster tests, it is likely that meat tainted with phenylbutazone continued to enter the food chain.

The agency says the testing was delayed to allow a comprehensive review of all the impacts.

The word incompetence springs to mind, the FSA could have carried out the tests and stopped the horsemeat scandal but they thought it ultimately wasn’t worth doing, and as a result we all ended up with chemical nags in our lasagnes.

Regardless of what the FSA thought might happen, if it had concerns or suspicions or this was simply a new directive, then surely it had to go through with the tests, I think a few people at the FSA should be clearing out their desks and seeking pastures new.