Horsemeat scandal hits frozen burger sales

Frozen beef burger sales have been hit hardest by the fall-out from the horsemeat controversy with a new survey indicating half of those who regularly bought them have now cut back.

The survey of more than 1,000 people was conducted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, who said it provided a good barometer for changes in consumer habits as a result of the horsemeat scandal.

Just over half of all those surveyed (51%) said they had regularly bought frozen burgers before news of the horsemeat contamination broke in January. Since then, just 48% of those regular purchasers have continued to buy them in similar quantities. The remaining 52% have either reduced the amount they buy or stopped buying them altogether.