Greece has the second-highest number of reported cases concerning the recent food scandal about the mixing of horse meat with beef in the food chain, according to the first results of DNA analyses. In Greece, from a total of 288 analyses, 36 cases were tested positive for horse DNA, some 12.5 percent.
The horse meat scandal had a huge impact on the European industry of pre-made meals, and raised the demand for organic products.
DNA analyses took place in 11 EU countries. France has the biggest rate of horse meat cases in EU, as from the 353 samples, 47 were found to contain horse meat. In Germany, from the 867 samples tested, 29 were found positive.
In the UK, where the horse meat has been detected in burgers and other meat products produced by a number of companies including Tesco, 150 official analyses realized under the program financed by EU none of the samples were tested positive in horse meat.
However, a senior EU official stated that UK had the most positive results of phenylbutazone, a painkiller harmful to humans.. “The UK has a big rate of detected phenylbutazone in meat products, mainly because every horse in the country slaughtered since February has been tested. So a lot of analyses have taken place, much more than 800,” said the same official.
According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), in the years 2011-2012, the Greeks consumed 111 tons of horse meat. The ELSTAT data were presented to the Greek Parliament by State Secretary of Rural Development and Food, Maximus Charakopoulos.
According to ELSTA data, in 2011, in total 37 tons of horse meat came to Greece, 35 from Romania and 2 from Spain. In 2012, 74.2 tons of horse meat were distributed in the Greek market, 24 of which came from Spain, 15.9 from Romania and 34.3 from Bulgaria.
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