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11/01/2023 Anniversary of horse meat scandal, Lamma machinery show

On the 10th anniversary of the horse meat scandal, we speak to the scientist who led a government inquiry and the head of the Food Standards Agency. Lamma machinery show.

It was ten years ago this week that the Food Standards Agency of Ireland announced they had found horsemeat in beef burgers. The trail of where and how the meat became contaminated revealed a web of meat supply across Europe, which was open to fraud. Professor Chris Elliott from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen's University Belfast, was tasked by the government to lead an inquiry, and as a result, a national Food Crime Unit was set up. Major retailers also signed up to a system for checking food safety, which still continues today. He believes that the science is there to stop food fraud, but says a lack of border checks since Brexit mean the UK's vulnerable to imports of food that aren't safe. Chief executive of the Food Standards Agency Emily Miles says trading standards and the FSA labs need more resources to carry out more checks.

Nearly 600 exhibitors are showcasing everything from tractors to combines and farming robots at LAMMA in Birmingham. All week we're focusing on machinery and the problems it can solve for farmers, from seed drills which help restore pasture, by emulating the movement of sheep's feet, to machines you can mount on a quad bike to remove rocks before planting a field.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

13 minutes

Broadcast

  • Wed 11 Jan 2023 05:45

Podcast