More supermarkets cleared their burger shelves yesterday following the horse meat scandal. Asda and Co-op took the "precautionary measure" because they use the same supplier. The Food Standards Agency has launched an investigation after it emerged that supermarkets, such as Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Aldi and Iceland are selling burgers containing horse meat. In one sample of a Tesco Everyday Value beefburgers, 29 per cent of the "beef" content was actually horse meat. The products were produced by Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods, in Ireland, and one UK plant, Dalepak Hambleton. European suppliers are suspected to be the source. Richard York asked local shoppers what they thought
Mrs Fawcett, of Grimsby, said: "It's disgusting. I know it's probably hygienic, but we are English and we don't eat horse. I don't eat burgers, but people buy them for their children, they just don't know what's in them. You trust the larger stores, but now you just don't know."
Linda Haynes, of Scartho, said: "It's not good. But what you don't know doesn't hurt you. It's not very often I buy burgers but I don't like the idea of it. It would definitely make me more cautious when buying meat. It could be a way for the companies to save money as the horse meat is cheaper."
Former lorry driver, Allan Ferguson, of Grimsby, said: "It's a bit disgusting. Would you want to eat a dog chopped up in a burger? I've recently stopped buying burgers, but if I hadn't I certainly would have now. If something like this can slip by what's next? If it's not on the ingredients it shouldn't be in there. Horse meat is cheaper than beef so it could be used to save money."
Parent, Julie Clark, of North Somercotes, said: "I'm very concerned. You never expect to find horse meat in beef burgers. I do buy burgers for my son but I buy the better quality ones, I hope they are less likely to be affected by this. It's not changed my mind about shopping at these stores."
Pete Doyle, of Corporation Road, Grimsby said: "I don't buy burgers, but when it says it's beef it should be beef. I don't have a problem with horse meat, it's not a health hazard – at the end of the day there's nothing wrong with it. It's just a money saving scheme."
Susan Crow, of Scartho said: "It's very concerning. The mind boggles how this could happen. If they put in horse meat it makes you wonder what else are they putting in the meat. It's the suppliers, not the stores."
Mrs McNaughton, of Corporation Road, Grimsby said: "It's disgusting. It's not the shops' fault though, they put the order in and trust what the factories are giving them."
