Ikea Withdraws Horse Meatballs: Thailand

[webfact]

IKEA withdraws ‘horsemeat’ meatballs from Thai store
By Coconuts Bangkok


IKEA meatballs: We knew they were too cheap...

BANGKOK: -- Swedish furniture mega-retailer IKEA has pulled a line of meatballs from its Thai stores following accusations that the snacks contained (drum roll)…horsemeat.

The debacle started last week, when a Czech foodstuffs inspector discovered that the meatballs contained not only beef and pork, but also equine meat products. Though IKEA had originally withdrawn the product from only its European stores after hearing this news, the company announced on Monday that it would withdraw the meatballs from its stores in Thailand, Hong Kong and the Dominican Republic as well.

This scandal represents the second such PR pratfall for IKEA since the company first set up shop in Thailand. [more...]

Full story: http://www.coconutsbangkok.com/news/ikea-withdraws-horsemeat-meatballs-from-thai-store/


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2013-02-26

[webfact]

Ikea withdraws meatballs in more than 20 countries amid horse meat scandal
By KARL RITTER

STOCKHOLM (AP) — 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.

The company reacted after authorities in the Czech Republic said they had detected horse DNA in tests of 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) packs of frozen meatballs that were labeled as beef and pork. The Czech State Veterinary Administration said it tested two batches of Ikea meatballs and only one of them contained horse meat. It did not say how much.

Meatballs from the same batch had been sent from a Swedish supplier to 12 other European countries — Slovakia, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland — and would be pulled off the shelves in all of them, Ikea said.

Later Monday, the company expanded the withdrawals to stores in 21 European countries and in Hong Kong, Thailand and the Dominican Republic, all of which were getting meatballs from the same Swedish supplier.

Full story: http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130225/NEWS90/130229844

-- poconorecord 2013-02-26

[ratcatcher]

Perfectly safe to eat, just mis-labelled. What a waste.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21569645

Edited February 26, 2013 by ratcatcher

[krisb]

Lets see em talk their way outta this.

[Locationthailand]

More the greed from the supplier not Ikea, substituting more cost effective product from the knackery. I hope they nail the supplier.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Why don't the Thais just make mixed meat ball soup?

A report a few months ago claimed that Thailand sells millions of fish balls that are full of the poisonous puffer-fish.

[driedmango]

not to mention i think my little table is made of cardboard

[Songhua]

(in the 'IKEA store opening thread) didn't a couple of members say they had tried the meatballs? IIRC they said they weren't very good anyway. Maybe we have our answer as to why!

[MAN2SIN2BKK]

Dont waste them; send the stock to Isaan and they can mix in some cockroaches and other bugs..........

[fareastguy]

Sounds like a few more "shergar's" ended up in the food chain !!

[Thai at Heart]

Bla bla bla. Well, that's a kick up the pants for the European food industry.

Now, crab sticks..... hmmmmm

[Carib]

Ikea meatballs? Does that mean one can build a horse with them? Are tools and a manual included?

[coma]

Anyone that eats processed foods, particularily processed meats like the Thai trusty and much loved Luk Chin [ meatball] , is basically just rolling the dice. Everybody knows that it is not your prime New York cut that gets minced up into a meatball. Those on a halal diet need to be even more careful. Pork, chicken,beef, buffalo, dog, fish and horse mostly look the same when minced up together. Who knows what one is eating when you bite down on that " minced burger patty, meatball or meat pie?

[Pimay1]

Interesting article on who eats horse meat.

Because horses have played a big part in the history of civilized society as both work animals and pets, many cultures consider it taboo to even consider eating them. Americans, for example, will not entertain the idea of eating horsemeat. But in South America, China, Japan, and many European countries including Italy, and Switzerland, horsemeat is just as common on the dinner table as other meats. The eight most populous countries in the world consume almost 5 million horses each year.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/who-eats-horse-meat.html

[Thai at Heart]

Anyone that eats processed foods, particularily processed meats like the Thai trusty and much loved Luk Chin [ meatball] , is basically just rolling the dice. Everybody knows that it is not your prime New York cut that gets minced up into a meatball. Those on a halal diet need to be even more careful. Pork, chicken,beef, buffalo, dog, fish and horse mostly look the same when minced up together. Who knows what one is eating when you bite down on that " minced burger patty, meatball or meat pie?

Well, at least in the European supply chain there is a good chance this will be cleared up. As for loog chin in Thailand, better not to ask too many questions. Fortunately, there aren't too many beef exports from Thailand to Europe, or they would be getting audited to death like they are in Europe right now.

Plenty of pre-prepared frozen meals shipped to Europe from here though, mainly chicken.

[Carib]

How about Tuna? Read this a few days ago; http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/59-of-the-tuna-americans-eat-is-not-tuna/273410/

[canopus1969]

(in the 'IKEA store opening thread) didn't a couple of members say they had tried the meatballs? IIRC they said they weren't very good anyway. Maybe we have our answer as to why!

Quite enjoyed mine when I visited the store - in fact horsemeat is usually very good, a lot better than the so called beef one gets in Thialnd.

[jambco984]

They've really got the bit between the teeth on this subject.

As someone said already don't waste them. Send them to the poor and starving and see if they turn down a bit of nose bag.

[Carib]

(in the 'IKEA store opening thread) didn't a couple of members say they had tried the meatballs? IIRC they said they weren't very good anyway. Maybe we have our answer as to why!

Quite enjoyed mine when I visited the store - in fact horsemeat is usually very good, a lot better than the so called beef one gets in Thialnd.

Horses are very fit cows basically. The meat tastes a bit more sweet and looks darker, and is also more lean compared to beef.

[ChrisY1]

Don't know what all the fuss is about....I fed my dog horse meat for years.......didn't have to go to a big flash store to buy it either!

[joepattaya1961]

Damn, did I finally find a place where they serve horse-meat meatballs.............

In the Netherlands........horse meat is very popular at the moment and the big grocery stores like Jumbo, Albert Heijn and others are doing big business. Everybody would like to taste horse meat.

Somewhat 20-30 years ago, horse meat was a pretty common alternative for beef; it was just a lot cheaper.

[h90]

Perfectly safe to eat, just mis-labelled. What a waste.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21569645

and I actually love horse meat.

[Pimay1]

Perfectly safe to eat, just mis-labelled. What a waste.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21569645

and I actually love horse meat.

I've never tried it but evidently it's not bad. When I was a boy we had a mule and a horse. The horse got stuck in the pond one day and drowned. The neighbor came and removed the horse, took it home and his hogs ate it. If it's good enough for hogs...................

I know I post a lot of light hearted things on TVF but this really happened.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Pimay1

[Ricardo]

Darn, so where can we go in future, to get our gee-gee meatballs & mash, then ?

[noitom]

If you were faced with a Thai fish ball or an Ikea meatball and starving to death, which would you choose?

[chiangmaikelly]

Dont waste them; send the stock to Isaan and they can mix in some cockroaches and other bugs..........

Do you think they eat cockroaches in Issan?

[KhunHehe]

This takes balls.

[Katipo]

I would think the Ikea Horseballs are still one of the higher quality minced meat products available in Thailand

[Pimay1]

Dont waste them; send the stock to Isaan and they can mix in some cockroaches and other bugs..........

Do you think they eat cockroaches in Issan?

No one here eats cockraoches. Grasshoppers yes and I will say they are right tasty.

[cheeryble]

I thought the chef had a long face.