Arguably one of the reputations most damaged by the horsemeat affair is that of retailer Iceland, which uses the advertising claim FOOD YOU CAN TRUST, clearly something a tad optimistic when the state of the current supply chain of the supermarkets is considered.

Iceland’s chief executive Malcom Walker did his firm, or his industry few favours when he blamed schools, prisons, councils and hospitals for wanting the cheapest possible meat and therefore encouraging suppliers to break the law. He also claimed that supermarkets like his own should not be blamed for failing to test for horsemeat in products being sold by them as something else saying “Why should we? We don’t test for hedgehog either”.

A few weeks before the story broke Iceland were reassuring customers with complaints about their products “We regularly monitor our suppliers to check that they’re upholding our high standards”.