Horse meat found in Ikea's Swedish meatballs

Furniture retailer Ikea says it has halted all sales of meatballs in Sweden after Czech authorities detected horsemeat in frozen meatballs that were labeled as beef and pork. / AP Photo/Johannes Cleris

Last Updated 11:56 a.m. ET

STOCKHOLM Swedish furniture giant Ikea was drawn into Europe's widening food labeling scandal Monday as authorities said they had detected horse meat in frozen meatballs labeled as beef and pork and sold in 13 countries across the continent.

The Czech State Veterinary Administration said that horse meat was found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meatballs made in Sweden and shipped to the Czech Republic for sale in Ikea stores there. A total of 1,675 pounds of the meatballs were stopped from reaching the shelves.

Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson said meatballs from the same batch had gone out to Slovakia, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland. Magnusson said meatballs from that batch were taken off the shelves in Ikea stores in all those countries. Other shipments of meatballs were not affected, she added.

However, the company's Swedish branch announced on its Facebook page that it won't sell or serve any meatballs at its stores in Sweden out of concern for "potential worries among our customers."

The halt in sales applies to all European countries (except for Norway, Russia and a limited number of products in Switzerland and Poland), the company said in a statement.

"We take seriously the test result from the Czech Republic authorities, indicating presence of horse meat in one batch of our meatballs," said Anders Lennartsson of IKEA Food Services AB.

Magnusson said Ikea saw no reason to extend that guidance globally. She said Ikea was conducting its own tests of the affected batch. She also said that two weeks ago Ikea tested a range of frozen food products, including meatballs, and found no traces of horse meat.

Ikea's stores feature restaurants and also sell typical Swedish food, including the so-called Kottbullar meatballs.

European Union officials were meeting Monday to discuss tougher food labeling rules after the discovery of horse meat in a range of frozen supermarket meals such as burgers and lasagna that were supposed to contain beef or pork.

• U.K. finds horse meat in school meals, hospitals
• Three U.K. arrests in horse meat scandal
• Horsemeat scandal spreads in Europe
• U.K.: Recalled lasagna products contain 60 percent horsemeat

The Czech authority also announced Monday that it found horse meat in beef burgers imported from Poland during random tests of food products.

Spanish authorities, meanwhile, announced that traces of horse meat were found in a beef cannelloni product by one of the brands of Nestle, a Switzerland-based food giant. The Agriculture Ministry said it was a case of fraudulent labeling but represented no health threat.

In a statement on its website, Nestle Spain said that after carrying out tests on meat supplied to its factories in Spain it was withdrawing six "La Cocinera" products and one "Buitoni" product from store shelves.

It said it was taking the action after the traces of horse meat were found in beef bought from a supplier in central Spain. Nestle said it was taking legal action against the company, adding that the products would be replaced by ones with 100 percent beef.

• no previous page
• next

1/2

[JSmith9999999]

"The sample of one brand sold by British supermarket kingpin Tesco was more than a ***quarter horse***." LOL - Great line!

[Donnie_G]

HORSE, THE OTHER RED MEAT. YUM!

[andthetruthis]

The problem comes in by religious attitudes.
God told the Israelites not to eat 'unclean' beasts.
It has to chew a cud,and split the hoof.
A horse doesn't have a split hoof.

[rtavis]

So what? It's all meat. Americans have some hangup on potentially chowing down on Trigger. (that was Roy Rogers horse, youngsters).

Hi Ho, Silver!

[jaykay3141]

Yup. When I was about 6 or 7 I visited a friend whose mother was English. Her dinner preparations smelled delicious until I asked her what it was. "Oh, braised rabbit. Would you like a taste?" at which point I started crying about how she could POSSIBLY eat Thumper. (For those under 40, Thumper was the uber-cute bunny in Disney's 'Bambi')

[skiimaan]

God must be laughing because beef, pork, horse meat came from hay, grass, and water.

[naksuthin]

As one who has worked in private industry before, I know how the conversation goes.

JOB CREATOR 1: We could make a lot of money if we used cheap horse meat for real beef in our sausages.
JOB CREATOR 2: But no one would buy our sausages if they knew there was horse meat in it.
JOB CREATOR 1: Who says they have to know?
JOB CREATOR 2: But we are required by law to label all the ingredients.
JOB CREATOR 1: Who is going to know? They don't have inspectors to test all the sausages.
JOB CREATOR 2: But that's like cheating?
JOB CREATOR 1: Horse meat is perfectly healthy for people; what they don't know won't hurt them.
JOB CREATOR 2: Plus it will save us money, result in greater profits for our company and a big boost in our share prices.
JOB CREATOR 1: Horse meat it is, then?
JOB CREATOR 2: Horse meat it is!!!!

[stupa5]

Taste good to me!
Swede are not Known for their cooking skills!

[jaykay3141]

"Taste [sic] good to me! Swede [sic] are not Known [sic] for their cooking skills"
You've never visited Sweden, I take it. Gravlax, dillpotatis, ren med lingonsylt, all washed down with a half-litre of starkol - what's not to like?!

[stupa5]

I have.. visited Sweden not know for their cullinary skills..you can have your pickled herring also!

[Mr-Drivel]

Who is eating at Ikea? The same people that do laundry at the car wash?

[nazcap]

Have you ever been in an IKEA cafeteria? Lots of customers eat there, and the food is inexpensive and good.

[jaykay3141]

Agreed - basic good food, well-presented and tasty. Not high class dining but several rungs up the ladder from MickeyD's and a lot healthier.

And FWIW chicken is "cheep"er, pun intended :) You did intend to write "cheap", correct?

[C-T]

Except for a slightly redder color, horse meat is barely discernable from beef.

[jaykay3141]

Some of my wife's relatives grew up in central Europe. At that time local markets regularly sold horse meat.

It seems to me the issue here is that the meat was intentionally misrepresented, not that there's something inherently wrong with consuming it. Unless you're a vegan, of course.

[Jhihmoac]

"You'll like our cookin'...it's the Cats!" - Literally :p