IKEA Sausages Recalled After Horse Meat Found In Meatballs

IKEA sausages became part of the ever-widening horse meat scandal in Europe earlier this week after IKEA meatballs were found to contain horse meat and subsequently withdrawn.

IKEA sausages not only join IKEA meatballs on the list of products affected by the horse meat scandal. Widely sold burgers from the UK, school lunches and hospital meals in Britain, and a popular frozen lasagne have all been pulled from store shelves after they were found to contain levels of horse meat ranging up to 100 percent in some cases. (Others contained “trace” levels of equine DNA.)

The furniture retailer made the decision regarding IKEA sausages after “a few indications of horse meat” were discovered in the links, and IKEA spokeswoman Ylva Magnusson explained both the IKEA meatballs and the IKEA sausages originated from the same maker, saying:

“Based on some hundred test results that we have received so far, there are a few indications of horse meat … Together with the Swedish supplier in question we have decided to withdraw from sales also the wiener sausages … from that supplier.”

According to Yahoo, Magnusson said that the IKEA sausages may not contain meat from horses but that IKEA “[knows] that at least some of the meatballs have shown traces of DNA from horse.”

USAToday reports that the horse meat probe has moved ahead in Portugal, where suppliers are being raided:

“Portuguese authorities said late Tuesday that they had seized 79 metric tons (87 U.S. tons) of beef products containing traces of horse meat in recent days and opened criminal proceedings against five local companies. Portugal’s Food Safety Agency said it made the seizures at companies that process, package and distribute meat to large retail outlets.”

No definitive conclusion was made as to whether the IKEA sausages contained horse meat.