Beef is off menu at Sandwell schools
Minced beef was today removed from school menus and meals-on-wheels services across Sandwell amid fears over horse meat.
Council chiefs said today the move was being made as a precaution after a supplier received a possible positive test for traces of horse meat.
Welsh Bros Food contacted the authority to say one batch of frozen free flow minced beef – dated from December – had "potentially tested positive for above one per cent horse meat".
The company, based in Newport, Wales, told the council it has issued a "withdraw notice" with the Food Standards Agency for all frozen free flow minced beef produced between December 13 2012 and January 17 2013.
It is not yet known whether any of the batch reached Sandwell. The authority supplies 11,000 school meals a day to 86 primary and secondary schools. There are around 120 schools in the borough in total. However, some schools, such as academies, have their own arrangements for school meals. It also provides meals on wheels to about 90 residents.
Councillor Paul Moore, cabinet member for health at Sandwell Council, said today: "All previous tests revealed no issues, and we have had firm assurances from the company over recent weeks.
"However, following this latest information, we have decided as a precaution to temporarily withdraw all beef products sourced from Welsh Bros Foods from our schools, meals-on-wheels service and other council catering outlets.
"We are checking with the company whether any of the meat we have received is from the batch in question. In the meantime, we feel it's only right to take minced beef from this supplier off the menu until further notice."
Staffordshire County Council temporarily withdrew beef from the menu at schools in the county as a precautionary measure this month.
Scheduled school dinners such as cottage pie with potatoes and gravy were scrapped as a result. However, it was back on the menu this week as pupils returned after half-term.
Meanwhile, fears have been raised that stray horses roaming the Black Country could be ending up in the food chain. Farmers are concerned the horses, known as fly grazers, are being shipped to abattoirs on the continent using forged passports.
And there are worries these fly grazers could include horses that are left to roam on land, or are tethered, in Tipton.
