A UK-wide beef product survey by the country’s Food Standards Agency has found six beef products that could potentially contain horse DNA.

The results, published Friday (8 March), revealed that 212 of the 224 samples taken were negative for both horse and pig DNA, at or above the 1% threshold. Seven samples representing six different products, however, may contain horse DNA above 1%, the FSA said. A further three may contain pig DNA above 1%, the tests revealed.

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The agency said further checks are needed to verify this.

The three products confirmed as positive for pig DNA are: Asda Spaghetti and Meatballs, Asda Beef Cannelloni, and Apetito Beef Lasagne.

The sampling survey was designed to be geographically representative of beef products on sale across the UK. It is separate from the industry test results that have been supplied to the FSA by the food industry and announced by the agency in three phases over recent weeks.

Full details of all the tests being carried out by local authorities are due to be published in a report in April, the FSA said.

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