Following the discovery of horse meat in processed foods sold in supermarkets in EU countries, the EU is set to require additional food safety tests. In an emergency meeting involving representatives of seven EU nations, the European Commission (EC) has called for 4,000 tests of horse carcasses to detect phenylbutazone, a drug that can harm humans, and 2,500 tests for DNA in processed foods to determine if they contain horsemeat. Results are expected in mid-April. The incident has also renewed demands for new food labeling requirements. Currently, labels must show the country of origin for fresh meat and, starting next year, for poultry, lamb and other meat, but not for processed foods. Horsemeat was first detected in processed foods in January in Ireland. This month, two German retailers recalled frozen lasagna suspected of containing horsemeat.

Source: Financial Times`