Horsemeat found in burgers? That's what the an Irish safety watchdog learned about beef tested in some of Ireland's biggest supermarkets, Christian Monitor reports Jan. 15.
Not only was horsemeat discovered, but traces of pig meat were in packages sold as pure beef. Ireland's Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said the blame is placed on one meat processor located in County Monaghan -- near the northern border of Ireland. Coveney said an imported additive used to make burger was somehow packed with horsemeat. He stated that the additive was "either falsely labeled, or somebody made a mistake, or somebody was behaving recklessly. That allowed some horsemeat product to come into the system that shouldn't have been here."
More tests will be conducted by veterinarians at the processor suspected to have distributed the horsemeat found in beef.
Global retailer and U.K.-based Tesco PLC is removing the beef from its stores in Britain and Ireland as a precaution. They apologized for the horsemeat in the burgers. In the U.S. Tesco is known under the brand name Fresh & Easy.
"The presence of illegal meat in our products is extremely serious," the company said in a statement. "Our customers have the right to expect that food they buy is produced to the highest standards. ... We understand that many of our customers will be concerned by this news, and we apologize sincerely for any distress."
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland found pig meat in 85 percent of the beef tested in Irish supermarkets. Some of this has affected discounters and frozen food companies.
According to the Irish watchdog, although the horsemeat in burgers isn't a threat to anyone's health, it does "raise some concerns."
Government officials are working hard to correct the mistake -- or mislabeling -- on beef in the supermarkets.
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