Butchers react to horsemeat scandal as sales soar
Butchers say they are selling up to 30% more in the wake of the horsemeat scandal as supermarket chains including Tesco, Iceland, Lidl, Aldi and frozen foods firm Findus admitted they found horse DNA in some of their products.
Paul Gyorgy, from the Sheepdrove Organic Farm shop in Bristol, said increasing numbers of customers are now taking an interest in where meat is sourced.
He said: "You have the odd joker coming talking about horse meat in supermarkets, but most customers are genuinely interested in where their products are coming from.
"People know they can trust British. You go to any butcher's shop and they will tell you exactly the journey the meat has taken to get to the shop.
Steve Brown, who runs a high street butcher's shop in Saltash, Cornwall, said: "I only use westcountry meat, from Devon and Cornwall, because I can be assured of the quality. Even though it is more expensive, it's what the customers want, too. They know it will be good quality.
"But companies are always trying to sell me meat from Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Romania. It might be more expensive, but people can trust British meat."
Changes in regulation responsible for horsemeat scandal?
A leading food scientist says the rule change that sparked the horsemeat beef scandal affected lamb products too, and they should be tested.
Regulators had not tested for horsemeat DNA in a decade
Retailers and the Food Standards Agency held an emergency meeting today to decide how to proceed with the horsemeat scandal.
What we know about the horsemeat scandal
The government has called an emergency meeting with retailers and the Food Standards Agency to discuss the horsemeat scandal.