Ikea Recalls Meatballs After Detection of Horse Meat (Published 2013) (2024)

Europe|Ikea Recalls Meatballs After Detection of Horse Meat

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/world/europe/ikea-recalls-its-meatballs-horse-meat-is-detected.html

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LONDON — The furniture giant Ikea joined a growing list of brands that have been touched by Europe’s food scandal on Monday and withdrew its signature Swedish meatballs from its markets and cafeterias across most of Europe after one batch was found to contain traces of horse meat.

Ikea’s decision — which followed a recall by the Swiss food maker Nestlé last week — demonstrated that even closely guarded brand names have found themselves vulnerable.

In weeks of tracing the problem, European Union and national officials have conceded that their oversight had not been aimed at authenticating food products. Now that governments and companies have undertaken more extensive testing, the results appear to indicate that food adulteration may be more commonplace and widespread than previously believed.

“Clearly there has been fraud on a massive scale across multiple countries in the E.U.,” Simon Coveney, the agriculture minister for Ireland, which holds the union’s rotating presidency, told a news conference after a meeting with colleagues in Brussels on Monday.

Noting that “big brands and big names that people trust” have been caught up in the issue, Mr. Coveney said, “We are all eager to get to the bottom of this.”

The detection of horse meat, which began in Ireland and spread quickly, has raised questions about the quality and oversight of Europe’s complex chain of slaughterhouses, processed meat producers, distributors and retailers.

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Ikea Recalls Meatballs After Detection of Horse Meat (Published 2013) (2024)

FAQs

Ikea Recalls Meatballs After Detection of Horse Meat (Published 2013)? ›

LONDON — The furniture giant Ikea joined a growing list of brands that have been touched by Europe's food scandal on Monday and withdrew its signature Swedish

Swedish
Internationally, the most renowned Swedish culinary tradition is the smörgåsbord and, at Christmas, the julbord, including well-known Swedish dishes such as gravlax and meatballs. In Sweden, traditionally, Thursday has been "soup day" because the maids had half the day off and soup was easy to prepare in advance.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Swedish_cuisine
meatballs from its markets and cafeterias across most of Europe after one batch was found to contain traces of horse meat.

Do Ikea meatballs contain horse meat? ›

The Czech State Veterinary Administration said it tested two batches of Ikea meatballs and only one of them contained horsemeat.

What is the horse meatball scandal? ›

The 2013 horse meat scandal was a food industry scandal in parts of Europe in which foods advertised as containing beef were found to contain undeclared or improperly declared horse meat—as much as 100% of the meat content in some cases. A smaller number of products also contained other undeclared meats, such as pork.

What happened with Ikea meatballs? ›

STOCKHOLM - Swedish furniture giant Ikea became entangled in Europe's widening meat scandal Monday, forced to withdraw meatballs from stores across Europe amid suspicions that they contained horse meat. Stores in the U.S. and Canada were not affected, Ikea said.

How did the horse meat scandal happen? ›

What was the Horsemeat Scandal? To recap, the horsemeat scandal occurred when meat from horses erringly entered the supply chain as beef. Once it was in the supply chain, the horsemeat ended up in many different products sold in the UK. Initially identified in Ireland, the scandal stretched across Europe and beyond.

Did Taco Bell serve horse meat? ›

Taco Bell is the latest restaurant chain to acknowledge that its food has been adulterated with horse meat, yanking a variety of ground beef products from its three British outlets and issuing an apology to its patrons Friday.In a statement, Taco Bell said, "our domestic restaurants have not been, and will not be, ...

Is horse meat legal in the US? ›

Is Horse Meat Illegal in the United States? While it is not illegal for someone in most states to eat meat from horses, there are very strict rules surrounding its purchase. It is illegal for someone in the United States to sell meat from a horse for commercial human consumption.

Who still eats horse meat? ›

Horse meat is commonly eaten in many countries in Europe and Asia. It is not a generally available food in some English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and English Canada. It is also taboo in Brazil, Ireland, Poland and Israel and among the Romani.

Do Swedes eat horse meat? ›

The untold story in all of this is that Swedes love horse meat. Marketed under the name hamburgerkött — that's right, "hamburger meat" — Swedes put the stuff on toast, sandwiches, and the like.

Why is horse meat forbidden? ›

Horses became a taboo meat in the ancient Middle East, possibly because they were associated with companionship, royalty, and war. The Book of Leviticus rules out eating horse, and in 732 Pope Gregory III instructed his subjects to stop eating horse because it was an “impure and detestable” pagan meat.

Why are Ikea meatballs so cheap? ›

The meatballs - along with all the dishes in IKEA restaurants - are priced so competitively to attract people to the store. The hope is, that once there, customers will also spend money on household items. The restaurants also reinforce the IKEA brand image of being 'low price' and 'good value'.

Are Ikea meatballs actually Swedish? ›

We've been serving food at IKEA stores since the 1960s, but in 1985 Swedish chef Severin Sjöstedt created a meatball that was delicious, affordable and easy to serve, based on the traditional Swedish meatball. After 10 months of tireless testing and tasting, the IKEA meatball was born.

What is the jam they put on Ikea meatballs? ›

It's lingonberry season and the small sour berries that thrive best in cold climates are ready to be picked. Swedes love eating the jam made from lingonberries with meatballs, mashed potatoes and cream sauce.

Does McDonald's have horse meat? ›

No, it doesn't. Not knowingly, at least. The horse meat scandal happened in 2013, and it involved a number of major companies, including Burger King, but not McDonald's.

What foods contain horse meat? ›

For years, there's been horse meat in hamburgers, lasagnas, raviolis, tortellinis, sausages, prepared spaghetti bolognese, bottled bolognese sauce, chili con carne, shepherd's pie, moussaka, many other “meat dishes,” frozen and not, cheap and expensive.

When did the US stop eating horse meat? ›

Nov. 3, 1998: California voters passed Proposition 6 which banned the slaughter of horses, donkeys and mules and sale of horsemeat for human consumption. by a 69-28 margin, following a bipartisan House vote of 269-158 in June 2005. Funding limitations remained in place in the federal budget until 2011.

What kind of meat is in Ikea meatballs? ›

Steps for the meatballs

Combine beef and pork mince until all lumps are smoothed. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg and mix. Then add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Grab small handfuls and roll into a ball shape.

Which Ikea meatballs are vegan? ›

The meatless meatball – a Swedish classic that's entirely plant-based. What looks and tastes like meat, but contains no meat? Our plant ball of course! It has a great look, taste and the juicy bite of its meaty counterpart.

What meat are Swedish meatballs made of? ›

Meat – mix of pork and beef is part of the authentic flavour of Swedish Meatballs, and pork makes the meatballs extra soft and juice. But you can use all beef or all pork. You could also make this with chicken or turkey! 3.

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