Germany: Tighter Controls Needed on Meat Products

(AP) – German officials are vowing tighter controls on meat products and stronger penalties for companies that violate food-labeling rules as more items marketed as “all beef” have tested positive for horse meat.

Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner and her state counterparts announced a 10-point plan Monday, seeking to allay Germans’ fears after five national supermarkets recalled lasagna, chili, tortellini and goulash — all with traces of horse.

Aigner says the country will step up testing, and be looking for any meat not clearly noted on the label — not just horse. Other plans include more quickly informing consumers of problems, and better information flow between state and federal agencies.

Many European countries have been hit by a scandal involving shipments of horse meat fraudulently labeled as beef.