McDonald's burgers 'free of horsemeat' due to close ties with beef farmers

McDonald's in the UK was "very confident" its burgers were free of horsemeat owing to its close cont…

McDonald's in the UK was "very confident" its burgers were free of horsemeat owing to its close contact with British and Irish farmers who produced all its beef, the fast food chain told the National Farmers' Union conference in Birmingham on Thursday.

Warren Anderson, vice-president of McDonald's UK supply chain, said: "Over the last few weeks some of the biggest supply chains have been under intense scrutiny. Ours hasn't and that's down to the historical investment we have made and continue to make in keeping our supply chain simple and transparent."

The company has provided samples of all the beef burgers on its menu to the FSA for testing and carried out further tests itself.

Asked by a farmer if he was "feeling smug", Anderson said: "I would say we are very confident."

Tesco, the UK's biggest supermarket, on Thursday announced plans to source more meat from the UK and Ireland and to simplify its supply chain after horsemeat was found in a number of beef ready meals.

As the supermarket took out double-page adverts in national newspapers to publicise its plan, Anderson said McDonald's had been keeping its supply chain simple for years. "There is a model there that works. We are proud of that."

Farmers gave McDonald's a rousing welcome at the conference as the company said it worked with 17,500 British and Irish farmers to supply its restaurants in the UK. But the company has not always enjoyed such praise.

Anderson said that the company had changed the way it worked 10 years ago after it lost business because of a loss of confidence in its food. "We learned the hard way that trust is hard won and very easily lost," he added.

McDonald's says it uses free-range British eggs, British pork and milk, and that its burgers are made with 100% British and Irish beef. "We use no fillers or trimmings," Anderson said. Only 10% of the chickens used by the company are sourced in the UK and Ireland.

Anderson said McDonald's received 50,000 to 80,000 questions about its products a month, through social media and the internet and no one had asked for a horseburger to be put on the menu.

The NFU urged more retailers, catering firms and restaurants to use its Red Tractor accreditation, which ensures a certain level of quality and production standards for fresh food from the UK.

Farmers are hoping to cash in on higher demand for British meat, in particular, amid a wave of consumer concerns over food purchasing.