IKEA Wants To Put Horse Meatballs Back On Sale

Flat pack furniture superstore IKEA is considering putting its remaining stock of recalled meatballs containing horse meat back on the shelves in Sweden, citing fact that there is no health risk to eating horse meat, The Daily Mail reports.

A scandal erupted earlier this year when IKEA's meatballs, which are meant to contain beef and pork, were found to contain significant amounts of horse as well. Affected stock was recalled throughout Europe.

Though no horse meatballs were shipped to North American stores, IKEA had to recall tens of millions of meatballs in more than 20 countries.

Privately held by a Dutch company of Swedish origin, the home furnishings chain is known for its low-priced goods as much as for their in-store cafeterias which offer a variety of dishes, including Swedish meatballs.

All of the meatballs removed from sale in the U.K. and much of Europe have been disposed of, with some of them reportedly being used to create energy from biogas, The Daily Mail reports.

But in Sweden, an IKEA spokesman said the company is looking to find a "sustainable solution" for its remaining stock of meatballs containing horse meat, which may include selling them. The meatballs are being kept frozen in storage at the moment.

"There is no health risk associated with eating the meatballs, so we would like to sell them re-labeled and at reduced price and donate the money to charity. We are currently in dialogue with relevant authorities to explore if and how we can do this in accordance with legal demands," the spokesperson said, according to Daily Mail.

"All foods that cannot be sold or otherwise used for food will be turned into biogas."

Horse meat is commonly consumed in Central Asian countries, as well as in Mongolia and Japan, but viewed as taboo throughout much of the Western world.