Beef supplier to Telford & Wrekin schools changed

Council officials said the switch would ensure the quality and traceability of beef used in school dinners and reassure parents and children. However, they said there was no suggestion that any horsemeat had made its way into school meals before the change.

Angie Astley, assistant director of customers and people at Telford & Wrekin Council, said a Telford-based butcher's had been chosen to supply the council's meals service with beef.

She said: "We have taken this step because we want to be absolutely sure that the food we are serving in our schools is of the highest standard possible.

"Given the national concern around horsemeat and products such as minced beef, we have carried out a number of independent tests on beef from our previous supplier and all these have found no cause for concern.

"However, we have decided that the best way to assure the quality and source of the beef we use and to reassure the thousands who eat school meals every weekday is to change to a more local supplier whose source of meat we easily oversee, and we have now done so for beef products."

The council has also changed some menu choices, meaning that individual schools can remove beef products from their menus if they choose to.

Some schools had already removed beef products from their menus while the council found a new supplier.

A letter sent home to parents of children at Tibberton CE Primary School said: "The catering services apologise that at the moment the meals provided may not be exactly as listed on the current menu.

"The search is on for local producers of fresh meat, but everything should be back to normal soon."