Schools assure parents about meat in meals (From Malvern Gazette)
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Schools assure parents about meat in meals
11:40am Thursday 28th February 2013 in News By Robert Hale
SCHOOLS in the Malvern area have been assuring pupils and parents their meals are safe, in the wake of the national horsemeat scandal.
Worcestershire County Council’s scientific services lab is currently testing samples from primary and secondary schools throughout the county for horsemeat.
Paul Hancock, the council’s public analyst, said the eight samples so far tested were all negative for equine (horse) DNA and they expected to have full results of tests next week.
He said: “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 horsemeat issues, we should conduct these food tests, both to reassure parents and to help schools ensure that the meals they provide are of the required standard.”
But the Chase School, Malvern, has issued a statement on its website, saying its catering operator, Innovate Services, takes care to confirm the full origin and safety of its meat products.
“As a matter of priority, Innovate Services has been in contact with all food and ingredient suppliers,” said the statement.
“To date, all suppliers have confirmed that no horsemeat has been traced within any of the products sold to Innovate.”
David Kemp, assistant head of Queen Elizabeth Humanities College, Bromyard, said that since September, the school has run its canteen directly, also supplying five local primary schools.
57 per cent of the food it cooks is sourced locally, with all meat coming from local butchers.
He said: “Our meals are very popular and people from miles around know how good our local butchers are.”
Victoria Gooch of Malvern College said: “We can confirm following assurances from our caterers and their suppliers, no horsemeat has entered our supply chain.
“We have also been assured that rigorous checks will continue to be made.”
