UNITED KINGDOM
BBC REPORT RESUTS OF DNA TESTS
The British Broadcasting Corporation claims that significant amounts of beef sold in British supermarkets as "Local Beef"is in reality beef from Argentina and Brazil.
The BBC carried out tests in Dublin Ireland, using DNA specialists Identigen who tested 40 samples.These samples were taken from 40 supermarkets in the south of England and it was found 8 of the samples or 20%, came from Zebu cattle, that can only have come from Brazil or north east Argentina in the province of Missiones.
Whilst Zebu cattle can be found in parts of Africa, there are no African countries exporting beef to the UK:Jilly Greed, who represents the National Beef Association, in south-west England said "it’s a great big con".
This is not new and has been going on for the last 50 years in England, whilst the Trade Description Act, did a lot to rectify the problem, when introduced in the seventies beef has always been mislabeled by various means.
Irish cattle were shipped live to England, when slaughtered became English beef at a higher price than Irish beef,
English cattle from the north of England were killed in Scotland and became Scotch beef at a premium price.
For many years Sainsbury’s would not buy Irish beef as they only sold home killed, however they would buy the same cattle if killed in northern Ireland .as being part of the United Kingdom the cattle became British beef.
West country lamb always had a premium price in England, so lambs from Wales were transported to Devon a Somerset for slaughter and received the premium west country price.
This report from the BBC, will open the door for many questions to be asked.
