According to the information we have available, frozen products similar to those found to contain horsemeat in a few Western European countries have not entered Hungary.

The National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO) is continuously monitoring the data on food and feed published on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). The system has so far not indicated that any products labelled as containing beef but in fact containing horsemeat have been shipped to Hungary.

The British authorities informed other EU member states that certain frozen products (lasagne) from the Sweden-based Findus food company contained horsemeat. The rapid alert system currently had no official information as to the exact origin of the meat in question.

In accordance with regulations on secondary food monitoring, business must file a report on all foods that enter the country from abroad. It is on the basis of this that the food chain monitoring authority can order an immediate targeted investigation if necessary.

In reaction to the case, the NFCSO has been holding spot checks throughout the country to monitor the products in question, and the office's laboratories are ready to complete investigations designed to establish what animal the meat used in foods originates from.

Eating horsemeat may be a risk to consumer health in this vase, if the animal received medical treatment prior to being slaughtered (for example antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication), and the compulsory waiting period was not kept to. At certified slaughterhouses, pre-slaughter monitoring and the documentation that comes with the animal guarantee that this cannot happen. The NFCSO's monitoring system ensures that all foods are free from ingredients that are contaminated with pharmaceutical residues through regular sampling and laboratory testing.

The use of horsemeat in products that are labelled as containing beef constitutes the deliberate deception of consumers and is considered fraud.

The NFCSO will be keeping the public continuously updated on new developments and information in the case.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)