Crisis Management
of 2013 European Horse Meat Scandal
Hard Rain assisted two separate clients during the horse meat crisis in 2013.
One client supplied a public sector customer with a batch of Halal meals which contained pork. And in the same consignment, horse meat was found in a beef lasagne. With no prior warning, or suspicion, that this situation was possible, the client and Hard Rain were alerted to the contamination on a Saturday evening.
The client’s contract was worth over £50m per annum, meaning there were both short and long-term pressures at play. The client’s response to the crisis was critical and held under close scrutiny as they were being blamed by their customer.
We worked with the client through the night to act and communicate effectively and sympathetically, with speed being a pertinent necessity. Furthermore, the media damage was limited by the swift and honest response.
Work in the case continued for months as investigations discovered criminality had disrupted a trusted and secure supply chain.
