Baltic Export, EU – Baltic States, Foodstuff, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

The 200g packs are described on the label as "pie with minced meat" and are distributed in the UK by Monolith UK Ltd. When Monolith tested the product, it was found to contain horse DNA at a level of more than 1 percent. The FSA has requested that the product now be tested for the presence of phenylbutazone, known as "bute".

The product is supplied to small retail shops in the UK, many of which specialize in products from Eastern Europe, and one batch was affected. "Monolith" has informed its customers and withdrawn all supplies.

If people have this frozen product stored in their freezers, they are advised to return it to where they bought it. The affected batch has a best before date of January 22, 2014.

The frozen minced meat rolls (or small pies) from Latvia that were found to contain horse DNA and have been withdrawn from retail in Great Britain, are a Maiznica Kursa Ltd export product. The Kurzeme baked goods company confirmed this to LETA.

Bruno Ansons, Maiznica Kursa Ltd co-owner, told Nozare.lv portal that the product had been labeled properly, but bakers had known nothing about the presence of horse meat.

"The roll's filling is delivered to "Kursa" by Rezeknes galas kombinats [meat packing company], and the forwarding documents have to list all ingredients. Horse meat was definitely not mentioned," Ansons pointed out.