Tesco horse meat probe into beef burger contamination
Tesco found itself firmly in the firing line after tests by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland analysed beef burgers stocked in stores in Ireland. Of 27 burgers analysed, 10 contained traces of horse DNA and three contaminated pig DNA.
In one sample sold by Tesco, horsemeat accounted for 29% of the total meat content.
Tim Smith, Tesco’s group technical director, apologised to the “distress” the contamination may have caused. “There are only two ways it could have happened – illegality or gross negligence,” said Smith.
Irish agricultural minister Simon Coveney stressed the contamination posed no threat to human health.
Silvercrest Foods and Dalepak claimed they had never bought or sold horsemeat. Both added that they had launched an investigation into two continental European third-party suppliers.