In-depth tests on foods from Swiss supermarket chains have yielded no further positive results for horse meat, the Cantonal Chemists’ Association said on Friday after sampling about 100 ready-made products like lasagne and meat sauces.
Scandal gripped much of western Europe after traces of horse meat were found in frozen beef-labelled lasagnes produced by the French supplier Comigel. Tests showed that in some Comigel products exported around Europe, notably to Britain, up to 100 per cent of the meat was horse.
The Swiss supermarket chain Coop pulled its own brand of “Lasagne verdi alla bolognese” off its shelves Monday because they were also produced by Comigel. On Wednesday, Coop confirmed traces of horse meat had been found in its product.
Although the Swiss often eat horse, they are sensitive about the origin of meat products and have strict laws governing product labelling. Now, a provision in proposed new food legislation that would allow the cabinet to loosen food labelling laws has come into question.
“The meat scandal shows that exceptions to the labelling law are problematic,” Social Democratic parliamentarian Marina Carobbio told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.
Members of parties previously supportive of looser food labelling legislation have said they will re-examine their positions in the wake of the horse meat scandal.