Horsemeat tests ‘were not part of conspiracy’

Ireland’s food watchdog has denied an accusation by a UK House of Commons committee that its tests for horsemeat were part of a conspiracy to tackle issues in the beef industry while avoiding criminal prosecutions.

Under a barrage of questioning from MPs, the chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), Alan Reilly, said its decision to begin tests for equine DNA in November last year was not based on intelligence but instead on “sound common sense”.

Mr Reilly told the committee on the environment, food, and rural affairs, that finding the Tesco burger that contained 29% horsemeat was “like winning the Lotto”.