Horse meat traces discovered in hamburgers across UK.

Horse and pig DNA has been found in hamburgers that were being sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Using DNA testing, the Food Safety Authorities discovered hamburgers that had traces of horse and pig meat at several store locations including Tesco, Dunnes Stores and Iceland.

Of the 27 different beef products that were subject to analysis, 10 items were found to have horsemeat in them, and 23 had traces of pig DNA.

One sample of meat from Tesco consisted of 29 percent horsemeat.

Chief executive of the FSAI, Professor Alan Reilly, said “there is a plausible explanation for the presence of pig DNA in these products due to the fact that meat from different animals is processed in the same meat plants, there is no clear explanation at this time for the presence of horse DNA in products emanating from meat plants that do not use horsemeat in their production process.”

Although it is believed that no health risks are posed by the discovery of the different animal meat in the hamburgers, all of the distributors of the faulty meat withdrew their products from the shelves upon hearing of the inconsistencies.

What do you think? How did the horsemeat find its way into the hamburgers?