Two Dutch supermarket chains have become the latest European retailers to pull frozen lasagnes from shelves amid concerns the lines could contain horse meat.
Plus Supermarket said it had taken its Prima frozen lasagne off shelves on Monday (11 February) due to the product potentially containing horse meat. The retailer said consumption of the Prima lasagnes is “not harmful”.
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A second Dutch retailer, Boni, has also withdrawn the same product from its shelves with the same fears.
A spokesperson for Plus said the lasagnes were produced by Dutch firm Lensing Food, which had contacted the retailer to inform them the product may contain horse meat.
Plus said its own-label namesake fresh lasagne was safe from the recall, however, and “contains no horse meat”.
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A spokesperson for Lensing told just-food the meat for its lasagnes was supplied by French firm Comigel, one of the companies at the centre of the saga. Comigel was the supplier of Findus frozen products recalled in recent days across Europe because they contain horse meat.
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By GlobalDataThe Lensing spokesperson said: “It was a precaution to take [the product] out of the supermarkets because my source is Comigel in France and the Findus brand had horse meat in it so I decided to arrange a recall. We don’t know for sure if there is horse meat in [our lasagnes]. The Dutch government food association is now examining the product.”
The spokesperson said there are other retailers in the Netherlands implicated in the recall, including Ahold’s Albert Heijn, who he said had issued a “silent recall”. Ahold could not be reached for immediate comment.
He added: “Comigel have now supplied me with a new product that is guaranteed 100% beef. Now we have all [implicated products] back we will destroy them and next week we will start delivering 100% beef products.”
The Dutch Food and Goods Authority said the results of its investigation into whether these products contain horse meat would be ready early next week.
The Netherlands is the latest country in Europe to become embroiled in the horse meat scandal, which has taken in processors and retailers across the continent, with Findus at its centre.
Findus admitted on Thursday its frozen lasagnes on sale in the UK could contain up to 100% horse meat. The company, owned by private-equity firm Lion Capital, has also had to recall products on sale in France and Sweden.
This week, major retail chains in France, including Carrefour and Casino, recalled Findus products and those manufactured by Comigel.
Yesterday, German retailer Tengelmann confirmed its Kaiser’s supermarket chain had pulled frozen lasagnes from shelves.
