Poland finds horse DNA in beef

Polish authorities have found signs of horse DNA in beef stored at three storage facilities after several countries pointed to Poland as one of the sources of tainted meat that has shaken up the European food industry.

Officials in Ireland, Britain, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic have reported that products such as burgers and lasagne contained horsemeat that originated from facilities in Poland.

Poland's General Veterinary Inspectorate said in a statement late last night that it found three tainted samples from 121 tested, with 80 more to be examined.

Polish officials had previously said they found no signs of horse meat at all abattoirs tested.

Earlier this month Poland’s General Veterinary Inspectorate said investigations had still not uncovered any evidence backing Irish claims that Poland was the source of horsemeat that ended up in Irish and British burgers.

Warsaw veterinary inspectors accused Ireland of "attacking" Poland by prematurely flagging Polish factories as the source of horse meat in Irish beef products.

In recent weeks month a Naas, Co Kildare cold store, QK Cold Stores, told the Department of Agriculture that consignments of frozen beef trimmings imported from Poland were tested by it and some showed positive for horse DNA.

Poland exports 330,000 tonnes of beef products annually, or more than three-quarters of its total production, mainly to other EU members.

Yesterday as the horse meat scandal continued, furniture giant Ikea is withdrew wiener sausages from a number of stores, including Dublin, over concerns they contained horsemeat, just days after it withdrew a batch of its traditional meatballs.

The Swedish company said it was removing the sausages from sale in Britain, France, Spain, Ireland and Portugal and had stopped selling all minced meat products from its main supplier.

Additional reporting Reuters