The world's largest food company, Nestle, has pulled beef pasta meals from grocery store shelves in Italy and Spain, saying DNA tests have showed the presence of horse meat in them.
The company announced Monday that it has detected more than one percent horse meat in two products -- beef ravioli and beef tortellini sold under the Buitoni label. It is also removing a Nestle frozen meat product sold to catering businesses in France.
Also Monday, German discount chain Lidl pulled products off the shelves in Finland and Sweden after tests confirmed the presence of horsemeat.
The horsemeat scandal began earlier this year in Britain when horsemeat was discovered in frozen lasagna meals sold by Swedish-based frozen food giant Findus. The meals were produced by French food company Cogel with meat supplied mostly by French meat processing firm Spanghero.
Earlier this month, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for sanctions for those who were selling horsemeat as beef.
No one has reported health risks from the horsemeat, but the fraud has unsettled consumers across Europe.
Sweden's Findus has said it will file a legal complaint in France against the French meat processor and food producer.
The company announced Monday that it has detected more than one percent horse meat in two products -- beef ravioli and beef tortellini sold under the Buitoni label. It is also removing a Nestle frozen meat product sold to catering businesses in France.
Also Monday, German discount chain Lidl pulled products off the shelves in Finland and Sweden after tests confirmed the presence of horsemeat.
The horsemeat scandal began earlier this year in Britain when horsemeat was discovered in frozen lasagna meals sold by Swedish-based frozen food giant Findus. The meals were produced by French food company Cogel with meat supplied mostly by French meat processing firm Spanghero.
Earlier this month, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called for sanctions for those who were selling horsemeat as beef.
No one has reported health risks from the horsemeat, but the fraud has unsettled consumers across Europe.
Sweden's Findus has said it will file a legal complaint in France against the French meat processor and food producer.