Two meat plants were raided in Britain yesterday under suspicion of passing off horse meat as beef for kebabs and burgers.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and police officers entered Peter Boddy slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, and Farmbox Meats in Llandre in Aberystwyth, West Wales.
They have both been suspended pending the outcome of investigations into claims they supplied and used horse carcasses in meat products purporting to be beef.
The FSA said it had “detained” all meat found at both premises and seized paperwork and customer lists from the two companies.
Andrew Rhodes, FSA director of operations, said: “I ordered an audit of all horse producing abattoirs in the UK after this issue first arose last month and I was shocked to uncover what appears to be a blatant misleading of consumers.
“I have suspended both plants immediately while our investigations continue.”
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: “This is absolutely shocking. It’s totally unacceptable if any business in the UK is defrauding the public by passing off horse meat as beef.
“I expect the full force of the law to be brought down on anyone involved in this kind of activity.”
Mr Paterson yesterday met representatives of supermarkets and food suppliers to discuss the growing scandal of horse meat mislabelled as beef.
Joining officials from the Food Standards Agency, he talked to the Institute of Grocery Distribution, which represents food retailers and suppliers, to discuss plans for a new regime of quarterly testing of products.
Results of tests into the extent of contamination of beef products are expected on Friday. The Environment Secretary will travel to Brussels today to discuss the scandal with counterparts in EU countries.
Supermarket giant Tesco on Monday became the latest retailer to drop a major supplier after discovering a range of spaghetti bolognese ready meals contained more than 60 per cent horse meat.
It followed frozen food firm Findus and Aldi in finding the meat in products made by French firm Comigel and last night joined them in dropping the company as a supplier.
The scandal has spread all over Europe as details of the elaborate supply chain in the meat industry emerge.
French consumer safety authorities said companies from Romania, Cyprus and the Netherlands, as well as its own firms, were involved.
Romanian authorities confirmed they are investigating while their Dutch counterparts said they are ready to do so if necessary.