Traces of pork and turkey have been found in two separate "meat-free" branded products, The Daily Telegraph has claimed. The newspaper said laboratory tests found traces of pork in Sainsbury's own brand "meat-free" meatballs and turkey in Tesco's new "Wicked Kitchen" vegan macaroni.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK said the laboratory results have not been shared with the agency, but it is investigating the claims.

Confident

"Our priority is to ensure consumers can be confident that the food they eat is safe and is what it says it is," a spokesperson for the FSA said. "We are investigating the circumstances surrounding these alleged incidents and any resulting action will depend upon the evidence found.”

A Tesco spokesperson said: "We take the quality and integrity of our products extremely seriously and understand that our vegan and vegetarian products should be exactly that. Our initial DNA tests have found no traces of animal DNA in the BBQ Butternut Mac product available in stores today. We would urge the Telegraph to share full details of their testing, including the lab used as we continue to investigate.”

Sainsbury's said its products are produced at a meat-free factory.

"Sainsbury’s and the Vegetarian Society also carry out regular checks and no issues have been found," a spokesperson for the retailer said. “We have urgently investigated these findings, including extensive DNA analysis, and can find no evidence. Our investigation is ongoing.”

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