Parents are being reassured by Hampshire County Council that beef in school children’s meals is 100 per cent beef and not horsemeat.
Hampshire County Council has reassured parents, residents and those in care homes that there is definitely no horsemeat in meals.
The council provides around 8.5m meals each year with locally sourced ingredients such as Hampshire beef and pork, and meatballs and beef burgers on the lunchtime menu for schoolchildren are produced locally from Laverstoke Park Farm near Overton, and contain 100 per cent beef.
County Council Leader, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: “We take the food chain back to source by looking at where the food comes from, and we also carry out strict hygiene and cleanliness checks in school kitchens to ensure that the meals served to children remain of the highest standard.
“In addition, our Hampshire Scientific Service check at source, all the suppliers of food provided by the county council, and carry out stringent checks throughout the year, from supply to kitchen and all the stages in between, which also include verifying the authenticity of ingredients. We are unique in that few other local authorities do this.
“The food that we supply tends to be provided by local suppliers. By working with them through Trading Standards and monitoring the food we purchase, we believe we are helping local companies meet their statutory obligations, helping them stay in business, and ensuring the wellbeing of Hampshire residents.”