University to hand over names in red-meat study

The University of Stellenbosch will reluctantly comply with a request by the Red Meat Industry Forum and Media24 to provide the names of retailers whose meat was sampled to determine its actual ingredients – against the wishes of the researchers, who believe the information should be kept confidential, writes Linda Ensor for BDLive.

The dispute pits the public’s right to access information held by a public institution – provided for in the Promotion of Access to Information Act – against the right of scientists to uphold the integrity and independence of their work.

The random meat study found traces of soya as well as donkey, water buffalo and goat meat in processed products incorrectly labelled, for example, as beef. The findings, which came in the wake of the horse-meat scandal in Europe, prompted Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies to request an investigation by the National Consumer Commission.
Full report on the BDLive site