The Horsemeat Scandal Has Officially Expanded To Chicken

Another day, another packaged food found to contain horsemeat. In the ever-developing story surrounding meat products that, well, aren't exactly what they claim to be, Food Safety News reports that horsemeat has been detected in chicken nuggets in Greece. This revelation is particularly significant as it is the first known time that horsemeat has been discovered in poultry.

Back in February, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency Catherine Brown requested the testing of pork and chicken products for possible cross-contamination, in the wake of multiple varieties of frozen meals testing positive for horsemeat in Europe (not to mention our beloved IKEA meatballs). This week, the Hellenic Food Safety Authority released a statement confirming the recall of several of the country's products – including chicken nuggets – via laboratory testing. While the chicken nuggets were found to contain between 10 and 25 percent horsemeat, testing of pre-cooked frozen burgers revealed over 50 percent horsemeat. However, preliminary results have come back negative for the drug phenylbutazone, a drug commonly administered to horses that is hazardous to humans.

The test results represent a setback in the horsemeat scandal that has been ongoing in Europe since the middle of January, as fears regarding the adulteration of other meat products appear to have been validated. Meanwhile, this once-proud Greek writer is left wondering who would spring for frozen chicken nuggets in a country known for such rich cuisine. Oh, well. Maybe this new scandal will take some attention off that whole failing economy thing.

Read more about the horsemeat scandal on Food Republic: