Frozen food chain Iceland revealed slower UK sales growth as it suffered amid “intense” competition from supermarket rivals and the impact of the horse meat scandal.

Supermarket giant Tesco was left counting the cost of the horse meat scandal as it revealed falling UK sales after a slump in demand for frozen and chilled convenience food.

Burger King is partnering with the Kepak Group to supply its Irish and British restaurants with beef.

Although there are still a number of reports pending in relation to the horse meat scandal, the announcement by the Department of Food that it has expedited plans to set up a central equine database should be warmly welcomed.

Two-thirds of consumers would be more likely to visit a store that stocked a wide range of Irish products, according to new research.

Retail giant Tesco marked the end of the supermarket "space race" today as it scrapped more than 100 major store developments and admitted future growth would be focused more online.

Tesco boss Philip Clarke will face pressure to deliver on his £1 billion turnaround plan today when annual results are expected to reveal a sales slowdown and the first fall in annual profits for 20 years.

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney yesterday blamed “sloppy management and fraudulent behaviour” for the horse meat scandal that has done so much harm to the reputation of Irish food producers.

Yesterday’s Swiss report that concluded that eating too much meat, especially processed meat, considerably increases the risk of dying prematurely because of heart disease or cancer can hardly be described as shocking.

The Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has announced new measures for the detection of food fraud.

The boss of frozen foods supermarket chain Iceland has apologised for comments he made about “the Irish” in a current affairs programme on the horse meat scandal.

British government ministers were warned in 2011 that horse meat was illegally entering the human food chain, it was claimed.

Europe's Health and Consumer policy chief today rejected claims that EU policy was to blame for the horse meat scandal.

Europe’s horse meat scandal is spreading, as French consumer safety authorities say companies from Romania, Cyprus and the Netherlands were part of a supply chain that resulted in horse meat being disguised as beef in frozen lasagne sold around the continent.

Romania has announced an inquiry into the horse meat scandal amid suspicions of criminal activity.

The Swedish food giant Findus is taking legal advice over the horse meat scandal.

The EU's law enforcement agency, Europol, has been asked to assist in the investigations into the Europe-wide horse meat scandal.

A Fine Gael MEP is calling for the companies involved in the horse meat scandal to explain why they use imported beef.

Ireland is Europe’s largest beef exporter and tens of thousands of jobs are utterly dependent on the trade.

A leading food expert has warned that the British Government cannot be sure that there is no risk to public health from beefburgers contaminated with horse DNA.