Aldi withdraws meat products that 'don't conform to specification'

It is the first time a factory outside of Ireland has raised concerns about the content of its food since the horsemeat scandal emerged here.

Tesco alaos revealed that it has withdrawn a range of ready meals produced by Comigel.

A Tesco spokesman said it took the step as a precaution after Findus beef lasagne was removed from sale.

"Following the withdrawal of Findus beef lasagne, which is produced by Comigel, we have decided to withdraw our frozen Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese, which is produced at the same site, as a precautionary measure," the Tesco spokesman said.

"There is no evidence that our product has been contaminated and the meat used in the Findus product is not used in our product. However, we have decided to withdraw the product pending the results of our own tests."

Aldi would not confirm if the products may have been contaminated or mislabelled.

"Following an alert from our French supplier, Comigel, Aldi immediately withdrew its Today's Special Frozen Beef Lasagne and Today's Special Frozen Spaghetti Bolognese from stores as a precautionary measure," it said.

"Comigel has flagged concerns that the products do not conform to specification. They have been withdrawn immediately so that Aldi can conduct its own investigations into the factory concerned. These investigations are continuing.

"We will continue to maintain active scrutiny across our supply lines and will always put the quality of our products and safety of our customers first."