European countries demanded more DNA testing of meat products and tougher labelling rules over a scandal involving horsemeat sold as beef that has shocked the public and raised concerns over the safety of the continent's food supply chains, Reuters reported. Officials have said there is no risk to public health from the tainted foods. But the suspected fraud has caused particular outrage in Britain, where many view the idea of eating horsemeat with distaste, and exposed flawed food controls. Ministers from the worst-affected EU nations met in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss their response to the scandal, which erupted after tests in Ireland showed products labelled as beef contained up to 100 percent horsemeat. "This is impacting on the integrity of the food chain, which is a really significant issue for a lot of countries. Now that we know this is a European problem, we need a European solution," Irish farm minister Simon Coveney told reporters as he arrived for the meeting. Britain's farm minister said the type of tests that revealed the problem should be carried out routinely in future. -- SPA
