Kent firm Brakes recalls lasagne after horse DNA found in supplier's product
Brakes and Creative Foods
have apologised after horse DNA was found in a product
A Kent food giant has 'apologised wholeheartedly' after one of
its lasagne products was found to contain horse DNA.
Brakes - one of the biggest UK suppliers to the catering trade -
confirmed a meat product produced for one of its customers had
tested positive for equine DNA.
It used frozen beef mince supplied to Brakes by Pinnacle
Foods.
In a statement on its website, Creative Foods and Brakes
confirmed an urgent investigation had been launched after the
affected product was discovered.
Creative Foods, part of Brakes - which is based at the Eureka
Business Park in Ashford - said it had now stopped selling a
number of other lines that used meat from Pinnacle Foods.
It had also stopped using the company as a beef raw ingredient
supplier.
"We are very disappointed that we have been badly let down by one of our suppliers..." – Brakes statement
The firm said the Foods Standards Agency had been informed of
the finding.
It said: "We are very disappointed that we have been badly let
down by one of our suppliers.
"Needless to say we have stopped using them with immediate
effect.
"This should not have happened and we have apologised
wholeheartedly to any customers that have been affected."
Brakes is also recalling a Brakes brand lasagne (product code
34790 - Brakes Lasagne, batch code: L3011F, best before date
11/07/2014) as a precaution.
Testing is now being carried out into the DNA of all Brakes
branded products containing beef. So far there have been 71
negative results.
The company said it hoped the testing would be completed by the
end of next week.
Brakes is a long-standing Kent firm, founded by the Brake
brothers in 1958 in Lenham.
It was sold in 2007 in a private equity deal to Cucina Lux
Investments.
It supplies food to schools, hotels and restaurants.
18/02/13
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