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FROZEN meals containing horsemeat may be given to the needy. FROZEN meals containing horsemeat may be given to the needy. Charities have put up their hands to claim meals that have been yanked from retail shelves as the growing horsemeat scandal engulfs Europe. Three French charities say they’re prepared to hand out thousands of frozen dinners that contain horsemeat. Six French supermarkets have recalled - or are planning to recall - ready-made meals found to contain horsemeat, despite being labelled as beef. The charities, Restos du Coeur (Restaurants with Heart), Secours Populaire (People Rescue) and Banque Alimentaire (The Food Bank) want to get hold of the meals and re-distribute them among their clients. The three charities met last week to try to work out a plan of action, according to English-language French newspaper The Local. ''Above all, these cannot be thrown out. If the meals are safe, we will take them,'' a branch manager from Secours Populaire told Europe 1 radio. Philippe Le Mescam, head of the Brittany branch of Restos du Coeur said, ''It would be scandalous to destroy all these tonnes of food, if tests show that they don’t pose a health risk.'' The meals would also have to be re-labelled before being handed out, as their packaging wrongly suggests they only contain beef. A spokeswoman for Restos du Coeur said the charity wouldn't accept meals for the moment, saying there were many health issues to be sorted out before they could be redistributed. | 
