Three men were arrested on Thursday, under the Fraud Act, at two meat processing plants in the UK in relation to the European horsemeat scandal. The plants – Farmbox Meats and Peter Boddy Slaughterhouse – were toured by British Food Safety Standards inspectors last Tuesday, and have had their permits suspended.
Meanwhile, in France, investigators are saying the French meat supplier Spanghero, the first to label horsemeat as beef, should have known better based on several factors including appearance, smell, price and the Romanian customs code. French prosecutors are handling the matter and will seek fraud charges if warranted.
Companies found guilty of fraud could face fines of up to 187,500 Euros and up to two years of prison time.
Food giant Nestle is the latest retailer to become involved in the scandal. The Swiss-based company pulled pasta meals from shelves in Italy and Spain on Monday after showed traces of equine DNA.
For more information, see our post from last week, and stay tuned for further updates.
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