Horsemeat has been found in some of the beef burgers that were sold in UK and Irish supermarkets, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
This finding comes after the agency conducted a study examining the authenticity of a number of beef burger, beef meal and salami products available from retail outlets in Ireland. The study tested for the presence of horse and pig DNA in the products.
The agency noted that a total of 27 beef burger products were analyZed. About 10 of the 27 products (37%) tested positive for horse DNA and 23 (85%) products tested positive for pig DNA.
The beef burger products which tested positive for horse DNA were produced by two processing facilities (Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods) in Ireland and one facility (Dalepak Hambleton) in the UK.
These products were on sale in Tesco and Iceland in the UK and Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, they were on sale in Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Aldi.
In nine of the ten beef burger samples from these retailers, horse DNA was found at very low levels. However, in one sample from Tesco, the level of horse DNA indicated that horsemeat accounted for approximately 29% relative to the beef content.
In addition, 31 beef meal products (cottage pie, beef curry pie, and lasagne) were analyzed of which 21 were positive for pig DNA and all were negative for horse DNA. All 19 salami products analysed tested negative for horse DNA. Traces of horse DNA were also detected in batches of raw ingredients, including some imported from The Netherlands and Spain.
FSAI chief executive Alan Reilly said that there is no clear explanation for the presence of horse DNA in products produced by meat plants that do not use horsemeat in their production process.
"We are working with the meat processing plants and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine to find out how horse DNA could have found its way into these products," Reilly added.
