Flatpack of Lies? Beijing Ikea Says Balls to Horsemeat

The horsemeat scandal has finally crossed the grasslands and ended up in China, thanks to Ikea and its equine-infused meatballs. While the furniture giant's trademark culinary offering was withdrawn from Ikea menus in 21 markets worldwide – including Hong Kong – on Monday, Chinese consumers have been bemoaning the continued sale of meatballs at Ikea's Beijing branch. If you can read Chinese, check out the comments on Weibo here.

But there's no need to worry, we are assured. Ikea (China) Investment Co. trotted out this statement on Tuesday: "All the meatballs we sell and serve in China are produced in China ... The meatballs only have beef and pork as meat content. We do not tolerate any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or specifications."

In the land of a hundred food scandals, we're not resting easy just yet.

Photo: Ikea