A poster promoting meatballs outside Ikea in Malmo on February 25, 2012 Ikea has withdrawn its own brand meatballs for sale in Europe after Czech inspectors found traces of horsemeat in a batch manufactured in Sweden. The discovery comes as European Union agriculture ministers meet in Brussels for talks widely expected to focus on the growing horsemeat scandal.Czech officials said horse was found in "beef and pork" meatballs in the UK, Netherlands, Portugal and others.
According to Associated Press, Ikea's announcement came after the Swedish-style meatballs were intercepted and stopped from reaching Czech shelves.
Horsemeat was also found in beef burgers imported from Poland, the Czech State Veterinary Administration said.
In a post on its Swedish Facebook page, Ikea confirmed it was halting all sales of meatballs at its stores in the country. The company also announced that the affected batch of Swedish-made meatballs had been sold in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and France.
"We do not tolerate any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or specifications, secured through set standards, certifications and product analysis by accredited laboratories," Ikea said in a statement.
This is the latest development in the horsemeat scandal currently sweeping much of Europe. The scandal began with frozen meals and burgers in the UK and Ireland.
Since then, traces have been found in food across the EU, with major supermarkets having to withdraw affected meals from their shelves.
Italy joined the list on Saturday, reporting horsemeat in some lasagne products. Last week, Germany's consumer affairs ministry announced it had found traces of horse DNA in 67 of 830 food products.
The discovery comes as European Union agriculture ministers meet in Brussels this week to discuss ways to resolve the scandal and ensure food safety across the region.
Many critics are blaming the discovery of horsemeat on supply chains in the meat industry that are “too long, complex and poorly regulated.”