Switch to Desktop Site  Horsemeat scandal spreads, testing EU's
reputation for food standards  UK tests have found few cases of
horsemeat-tainted beef, officials said Friday. While the threat
to humans is low, many worry an EU-wide trail of alleged
criminality in the food-supply chain could spark panic.   A sign
at the entrance of French meat supplier Spanghero in
Castelnaudary, southern France, Monday. French economy minister
Benoit Hamon on Thursday, pinned the bulk of the blame on a
French wholesaler at the heart of the growing scandal in Europe.
Manuel Blondeau/AP  About these ads  The EU has long prided
itself on food standards, but a scandal that has seen beef
adulterated with horsemeat has now spread to 12 European
countries, leaving many asking questions about the transparency
of Europe’s food supply chains.  The issue of tainted beef first
became known in Ireland on Jan. 15, when the country's Food
Standards Authority announced it had discovered "equine DNA" in
some processed beef products. Food saf