THE RECENT SCANDAL involving the use of horse meat to bulk up products involving beef shows the extent to which some manufacturers are willing to go to flout the rules in order to hoodwink the public.
A Europe-wide scandal over horse meat in products labelled beef spread still further last week, as British authorities revealed the results of DNA testing on beef products and raided the premises of some food firms.
The scandal has now rapidly expanded over the past week, as unauthorized horse meat has been discovered in a variety of products labelled as beef, including frozen lasagne, that were sold in supermarkets in countries including Britain, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Ireland.
Whilst we are not making any allegations or insinuations, one cannot help but notice the rapid deterioration in the quality of our once revered corned beef and luncheon meat sold here. For many years, these were considered staple protein for most people in the lower income bracket.
Though we have no statistics, sale of these products locally seems to have fallen off in recent times but we suspect it has more to do with the quality than the price. It is very likely that the current scandal would affect the sale of these products locally given the level of imports from Britain.
We remember with disgust some years ago manufacturers in China had added a product used in paint to supplement baby milk for infants and toddlers. It resulted in some deaths but the impact was not pronounced as these products are not usually imported locally.
And now, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Tonio Borg is urging member countries to conduct random DNA tests on beef products to search for traces of horse meat. He has also added that if it is in fact discovered, it should be further tested for the presence of the veterinary medicine phenylbutazone.
Many detractors are now saying that the widening horse meat scandal has actually exposed the dangers of globalization. When commerce is conducted across porous borders, a serious problem affecting one country can easily spill over to others.
The issue has actually shown the complexity of the meat supply chain, which involves several EU countries – a fact that makes it difficult to find out exactly which country or part of the supply chain is culpable.
Upon investigation, the supply chain of the meat led back to traders in Cyprus and the Netherlands and abattoirs in Romania. But Romania’s prime minister has asserted that strict safety standards are adhered in the country as far as meat processing and labelling are concerned.
The crisis is actually a reminder of global epidemics of deadly influenza that have struck the world in the last decade. With or without globalization, the increasing movement of goods and people across the globe makes it is difficult to limit the danger.
With uninhibited movement of people and goods across borders, the world has become increasingly interdependent and hence collectively vulnerable to disease, terrorism and other crises.
