Farmers angry over horsemeat scandal

British Farmers' anger at the horsemeat scandal was being reflected at their national conference Wednesday, union leaders have said.  Many farmers believe the crisis over mis-labelled food has damaged consumer confidence in the supply chain.  National Farmers' Union (NFU) president Peter Kendall said in a statement: "Farmers have been furious about what has happened." UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson was due to address the conference, which was starting in Birmingham, central England.  Kendall said, "Farmers have spent many years working to ensure the British supply chain is fully traceable from farm to pack, and have upheld strong principles which are embodied in assurance schemes. "For me this is fundamental for consumer confidence." But there is also a growing sense that this may be a moment of opportunity for British farmers. Meanwhile, a poll for the NFU suggested that more than three-quarters of people wanted supermarkets to stock more food from British farms. Some 43 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed said they were more likely to buy food traceable from UK farms in the wake of the horsemeat scandal. Kendall said, "Our research also demonstrates the strong demand for British-farmed products, and so retailers, processors and food service companies have a responsibility to ensure there is clear country of origin labelling on the products that consumers purchase." Tests on meat supplied to catering giants here and in Europe have found horse DNA in products sold as beef.  Horsemeat has also been found in pies supplied to 47 schools in Lancashire, northern England. They have later been withdrawn.  But the Food Standards Agency here says that after 2,501 fresh tests no new products have been identified as containing more than 1 percent horsemeat. It said the 29 positive results were on seven previously withdrawn products.