Horsemeat Mystery; Murky Supply Chains & Demand For Low, Low Prices - HOW Could This Happen?

[hatrack]

EDIT

The horsemeat admixture does not pose a health risk, but many German consumers have an aversion to consuming horsemeat -- especially if they grew up with tales of Fury, Black Beauty and Iltschi, a trusty stallion that belonged to the fictive Apache chief Winnetou. Consequently, although some might call the reaction overly emotional, the scandal has in fact done an exemplary job of exposing the weak spots in the European food industry.

Intense price pressure from retailers and discounters is forcing food manufacturers to purchase ingredients from all around the world, including preprocessed foodstuffs. This has resulted in enormous flows of goods, and once these products have passed through the hands of three, four or more middlemen before they reach manufacturers, it becomes extremely difficult to trace their origins. This jungle of cross-border trading gives criminals a golden opportunity to re-label commodities. After all, the authorities have little control over what is stored and transferred in Europe's cold storage warehouses.

A prime example is Werk II, a refrigerated warehouse in the western German town of Neuss, which served as a gateway for a large proportion of the allegedly tainted frozen convenience food to enter the country. In December and January alone, at least 14 shipments were unloaded here, and then sent to supermarket chains. The concrete complex in the district of Norf serves as a transshipment center for goods from across Europe. A sign in German, English, French, Spanish, Polish and Russian directs delivering drivers to the reception office.

This is only one of many such warehouses. Last week, the European Commission warned of 310 deliveries from Tavola since August 2012. This concerns the noodle dishes carried by German food retailers -- but the same product was also supplied to Denmark under the "Budget" brand name, delivered to ICA supermarkets in Norway under the "Delish" name, sold in France by leading grocery stores including Casino and Carrefour, and purchased by other customers under the "Findus" brand. Until late last week, it was still unclear who was actually to blame for the food fiasco. France's consumer affairs minister, Benoit Hamon, alleged that the Spanghero meat processing company was the first participant in the chain to slap a "beef" label on horsemeat. By contrast, a Spanghero spokesman told SPIEGEL that the firm only ordered, received and sold meat that was "reputed to be beef."

EDIT

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/scandal-unveils-problems-with-european-food-labeling-a-884015.html

[Demeter]

1. Horsemeat has always been a delicacy in Europe

among those who could afford it. Personally, I never tried it.

It thrills me to pieces that the nation that is destroying Europe is gagging on the results of its own folly...