Dutch authorities recall 50,000 tons of meat across Europe

PanARMENIAN.Net - Dutch authorities are recalling 50,000 tons of meat sold as beef across Europe because its exact source cannot be established and it may contain horse meat, a spokeswoman said Wednesday, April 10, according to The Associated Press.

The announcement was the latest development in a far-reaching scandal that saw horse meat mixed in with other meats and sold as beef across the continent without informing consumers. The scandal led to recalls of products ranging from frozen lasagna to Ikea's Swedish meatballs.

In all, 370 different companies around Europe and 132 more in the Netherlands are affected by the latest recall because they bought meat from two Dutch trading companies, said Esther Filon of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.

The food authority said in a statement that because the exact source of the meat cannot be traced "its safety cannot be guaranteed." The statement added that Dutch authorities have "no concrete indications that there is a risk to public health."

Dutch authorities began a large-scale investigation into the country's meat industry in February after the horse meat scandal broke across Europe.