The Finnish Food Safety authority (Evira) says that it has the capacity to undertake random samples of meat products both in stores and at meat preparation facilities, according to the head of border control and organic assurance, Kyösti Siponen.
The authority claims that it is possible, but unlikely, that horse meat could also be found in beef products in Finland. At present there has not been widespread screening of beef or other meat products in Finland.
Thus far Finland has managed to escape various European produce scandals, owing perhaps to its remoteness or small market relative to other EU countries, but according to Siponen, anything is possible.
If testing goes ahead, results will be posted on Evira’s website. Suspicious items will be removed from the market.