Beef Products Sold in UK, Ireland Found to Contain Horse Meat
Several European supermarket chains have been forced to pull certain beef products off their shelves after they were found to contain tangible amounts of horse meat.
Tests conducted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in conjunction with Britain's Food Standards Agency have determined that beef burgers sold by Tesco, Iceland, Lidl, Aldi, and Dunnes Stores across the UK and Ireland contained at least trace amounts of horse DNA.
The most egregious offender by far was the Tesco Everyday Value Beef Burger, which was said to consist of nearly 30% horse meat.
All contaminated beef burgers were supplied to the supermarkets by three processing plants: Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods in Ireland, and Dalepak Hambleton in the UK.
The companies denied knowing about the adulteration of their beef burgers, and vowed to investigate the source. Liffey Meats and Silvercrest have placed the blame on third party suppliers from the mainland.
The FSAI sought to assure consumers that, while unacceptable from a quality standpoint, the horse meat posed no health risk.
