EU ministers gather for talks on horsemeat row

European farming ministers and the European commissioner for health were due to meet in Brussels on Wednesday amid growing anger and recriminations over mislabelled meat products.

The EU meeting comes a day after British police searching for the source of horsemeat in kebabs and burgers raided two meat plants, the first such operation since the scandal spread across Europe.

The Brussels meeting takes place amid suspicions of links to organised crime and public fears over health, and a day after France became the second European country after Britain to confirm that frozen lasagne contained horse meat.

Supermarkets in Switzerland and the Netherlands pulled more ready-made meals from the shelves as a precaution.

Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Tonio Borg will host Wednesday’s talks as anger grows over the EU’s failure to act more quickly.

A spokesman for Borg said on Tuesday it was too early to require labelling on meat used in processed foods but France’s junior agriculture minister Guillaume Garot called for precise labelling on the origin of meat in ready-made dishes.