Background to the 2013 horse meat scandal

A long-awaited report into the food industry following the horse meat scandal is due out today.

Why the industry-wide investigation though? And how did horse meat end up in frozen burgers?

• 15 January 2013 - It emerges horse DNA was found in frozen burgers sold in several British and Irish supermarkets. Tecso, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores all remove the offending products.

• 7 February - Findus announce the majority of its Beef Lasagne it had tested contained between 60%-100% horse meat

• 14 February - The French Government announces a French company had its license revoked A La Table de Spanghero license after it was found knowingly selling horse meat labelled as beef. They had sold to another French company, Comigel.

• The horse meat found in Comigel products originated from a Romanian slaughterhouse called Doly Com. They had supplied the meat under contract to a holding company based in Cyprus, Draap Trading Limited.

• The company, which operates in the Netherlands, was found to be owned by a Virgin Islands holding company. Draap spelt backwards is paard, the Dutch word for horse.