Nestle finds horse meat in its beef pasta meals in Europe

(REUTERS)

Nestle SA has withdrawn beef pasta meals from sale in Italy and Spain after tests found horse DNA.

Horse meat has found its way into ready-to-eat meals sold across Europe in a meat mislabeling scandal that has shaken the food industry.

The world's biggest food and drinks maker said in a statement that the level of horse DNA in its Buitoni Beef Ravioli and Beef Tortellini meals was above the 1 percent threshold that the U.K. Food Safety Agency uses to indicate likely adulteration or gross negligence.

Nestle said the contaminated beef was supplied by H.J. Schypke, a German company, used by one of Nestle's suppliers.

Nestle also withdrew from sale frozen meat sold as Lasagnes Ga la Bolognaise Gourmandes to catering businesses in France.