Lidl Finland finds horsemeat in beef meals

Retailer Lidl said on Monday it has withdrawn products from its stores in Finland and Sweden after finding traces of horsemeat.

Lidl in Finland said it found traces of horsemeat in the Coquette beef goulash meal and Coquette ravioli after pulling them from stores as a precaution during the weekend.

A spokeswoman for Lidl in Sweden said it had withdrawn a goulash soup product and a penne pasta meal with Bolognese sauce.

"We have been testing all beef products since the horsemeat issue began," said Lidl Sweden spokeswoman Caroline Forsshell. She said the products had been made by a German supplier.

The goulash in Finland was produced by German group Dreistern-Konserven GmbH & Co, Lidl Finland said in a statement.

Dreistern-Konserven on Friday announced horse DNA was detected in cans of its 'Rindergulasch' product.

Europe's horsemeat scandal, which has triggered recalls of ready meals and damaged confidence in the region's vast and complex food industry, erupted last month when tests carried out in Ireland revealed that beef products contained horsemeat.

(Reporting By Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by David Cowell)