As the product source was the Republic of Ireland, the discovery was made by Ireland’s Food Safety Authority, who also found traces of equine meat in private-label burgers in German-owned food chains Lidl and Aldi (only in their Irish stores).
While TV comedians were quick to point out that some of these brands of burgers are so cheap it was amazing the authorities found any meat at all in them -- never mind there was a presence of equine (up to 27 percent content in some cases) and not bovine -- might have raised a smile or two, this is no laughing matter.
Sainsbury's, although not implicated in any way, immediately cleared their shelves of all private-label brands of meat products where the source had been imported.
Tesco issued an immediate statement of apology to its customers, while the...
