IKEA horsemeat sausages fears

Russian officials said horsemeat has been discovered in sausages imported from Austria, the state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Russia’s agriculture watchdog announced that although the sausages were labelled as 100 per cent beef "the presence of horse DNA was discovered".

The sausages are believed to have been supplied by an Austrian company, the agency added.

IKEA has stopped selling all minced meat products from its main Swedish supplier over horsemeat concerns.

IKEA said the move was an "extra-precautionary measure".

As well as withdrawing Familjen Dafgard's IKEA-branded wiener sausages from its stores in France, Spain, Britain, Ireland and Portugal, it has stopped selling stuffed cabbages and veal burgers in Sweden.

The announcement comes two days after the world's No. 1 furniture retailer took its trademark meatballs off the menu.

An IKEA spokeswoman has spoken after the company withdrew its wiener hot dog sausages:

Furniture giant IKEA is withdrawing wiener hot dog sausages in the UK after tests found "indications" of horsemeat, just days after it withdrew a batch of its traditional meatballs.

The Swedish company said it was removing the sausages from sale in Britain, France, Spain, Ireland and Portugal as an "extra-precautionary measure" as they are produced by the same supplier as the meatballs.