No horse meat in U.S. Ikea products, company says
Responding to reports that investigators in the Czech Republic found equine evidence in the chain’s frozen meatballs, Ikea said that all meatballs sold in its U.S. stores are sourced from an American supplier and “contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada.”
The affected product was sold as a packaged beef and pork item in more than a dozen European countries, but not in the U.S., the L.A. Times reported.
The Czech State Veterinary Administration confirmed on its website that samples of the meatballs, which are made in Sweden, contained horse DNA. Shipments of the meatballs have been suspended, according to the agency, which said it sent its findings to European Union authorities.
“Customer confidence is of the utmost importance to Ikea,” the company said in its statement. “Ikea is committed to serving and selling high quality food that is safe, healthy and produced with care for the environment and the people who produce it. 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.”
-- Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times