Horse meat found in popular prepared ‘beef’ lasagna in the U.K.

Officials in the United Kingdom are warning the public about more horse meat found in prepared products labeled as 100 per cent beef.

This time, the horse meat has been found in Findus-brand beef lasagna, a frozen prepared product that is a popular brand in the U.K.

When tested, some of the Findus lasagnas, which were labeled as beef, were found to contain up to 100 per cent horse meat. Those lasagnas were prepared by a French food supplier, Comigel, and sold under the Findus brand.

Major U.K. grocery chains have pulled all Findus products from their shelves as a result of the findings.

The finding follows on the heels of a scandal where burger patties, which were labeled as 100-per-cent-beef and sold in major grocery stores, were found to contain both ground pork and horse. The meat in those tainted burgers was found to have come from processing plants in both England and Ireland.

While eating horse meat poses no heath risk–aside from a major ick factor for people who thought they were eating beef–the U.K. Food Standards Agency is conducting tests to ensure the tainted lasagna doesn’t contain any phenylbutazone, which is a veterinary drug that is not approved for human consumption.

The horse meat may also have made its way into meals at schools and hospitals, reports The Telegraph.

Police are being involved in the investigation into both cases, according to a statement from the Food Standards Agency.

“This is a very serious issue. The evidence we have about the two cases, of the significant amount of horse meat in burgers and lasagna, points to either gross negligence or deliberate contamination in the food chain. This is why we have already involved the police, both here and in Europe,” reads the statement.

The Food Standards Agency is also calling for wider testing of all processed ground-beef products.