Ikea pulls meatballs off menu for tests

IKEA'S famous meatballs were off the menu in Singapore last night as a "precautionary measure" by the furniture giant following a global horse meat scandal.

The company said in a statement yesterday it is testing the Swedish dish for traces of horse meat, but added that it was unlikely to contain the meat because the meatballs sold at its two branches here are made only of beef and pork sourced from and produced in Australia.

Its halal meatballs are made of chicken from Brazil and beef from Australia, a spokesman added.

So far, Australia has not been identified as one of the countries which produce horse meat-tainted "beef". But Ikea Singapore has temporarily stopped selling meatballs pending the DNA test results.