GROSS

Horsemeat Now in 16 Countries

France summons meat executives as part of investigation.

Where's the beef? French officials summoned meat industry chiefs to talks with ministers as the fallout from the scandal over horsemeat labeled as beef spread to 16 countries. Seven French supermarket chains withdrew frozen beef meals made by Findus and Comigel, and Food Minister Guillaume Garot said he wanted to make sure all questionable products were off the shelves. The scandal has already affected distributors in Britain, France, Sweden, Ireland, and Romania, and many fear it could have spread to 11 other countries as a result of the complex food supply chain in the European Union. The meat has been traced back to Romanian slaughterhouses, and an investigation has indicated the horsemeat was intentionally packaged as beef as part of a criminal conspiracy.