Is Horsegate History?

Is Horsegate history? As we approach the anniversary of the biggest food scandal in a decade, that’s the contention of our 11-page special.

Clearly if you were to ask suppliers like ABP, Comigel, Findus, whose sales and operations have unquestionably been hit - not to mention the many third-party traders that have been chased out of town - you might get a different take. So, how have we reached this conclusion?

● the vast majority of consumers say they don’t care. In research for The Grocer by Ipsos MORI, 69% weren’t even bothered in the first place. And while a small minority say they’ve made all sorts of changes to their behaviour, they protest too much: the truth is that, after an initial spike in sales for independent butchers, trading has returned to normal, and growth in meat-substitutes like Quorn has returned to historic levels.

● crucially, sales of beef have also returned to normal. The big switch we saw to other proteins, like poultry, has flattened out. And while some sub-categories like frozen burgers and frozen ready meals are still down a bit, they are so close to historic norms as to be considered marginal, at this stage.

With the benefit of hindsight, the scale of the problem was not as great as either the government or media expected. This was no BSE. No-one died. And while there was some waste, it didn’t touch the scale of suffering from foot and mouth.

But credit has to go to the industry for its root and branch response. No stone was left unturned, and some significant changes have taken place to simplify supply chains. I am left with only two disappointments: the first is that no successful prosecution have been made thus far. I hope the will to prosecute is not lost. The second is that Tesco, which, unfairly, was affected more than some of its rivals, has been so backward in coming forward to talk about the commendable steps taken. We revisited a speech by CEO Philip Clarke in February to see what action it has taken. Its response felt mealy mouthed, cautious, couched, legal - not one I had expected from a new, more open Tesco, especially since - or so its suppliers tell me - it’s made its supply chain more simple and more transparent.