There is currently a concern in the UK and other parts of Europe about processed beef meat products containing horse meat, or beef products containing traces of pork, etc.  It has appeared as a regular news item in the British press for the last week or so.

  

Bear in mind that a ready-meal was not cooked in a large-scale kitchen as supermarkets would like us to believe, but produced in a factory with products sourced from all over the world with limited checks on the source or safety of that food.

To reduce the risks: go to a local butcher or farmer's market and ask questions about the source.  It's usually cheaper to buy your products this way too.

  

There is a price to pay for the convenience of supermarket shopping that isn't always visible on the receipt.

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