BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The EU horsemeat scandal has spread across Europe, raising food security concerns. At least 8 countries have now been affected. As leaders call for DNA testing, the French government says meat wholesaler, Spanghero, fraudulently labeled horsemeat as beef.

Consumers are still shopping in the frozen food aisles of Sweden’s supermarkets. But like other parts of Europe, there’s now a lot less to choose from.

Supermarket chains ICA and COOP have withdrawn beef lasagnes after tests revealed traces of horsemeat.

Lena Malm, food safety officer at COOP, said, "We feel cheated in this case because someone has knowingly cheated with this ingredient and that’s not fair. Neither to us nor to the consumer."

The scandal has reached Germany too, with supermarket chain Real also withdrawing lasagne meals. Any health risk still hasn’t been determined, with the meat still undergoing tests for a potentially harmful horse drug.

At least 8 EU countries have now been dragged into the affair, which the UK government has called a criminal conspiracy. One suspect’s in Holland

He’s a client at this cold storage company and a supply chain middle man. He was reportedly sentenced to prison just last year for selling horsemeat as beef.

Attention’s also shifted to this French supplier. According to French Commerce Minister Benoit Hamon, it knowingly sold horsemeat as beef.

Benoit Hamon, French Jr. Minister for Social Economy, said, "The investigation demonstrates that Spanghero knew it was stamping as "beef" on meat that was potentially horsemeat. In any case, there is a strong suspicion."

The European Commission wants to increase DNA testing. It says it’s the only way to assess the full extent of the scandal.

(Source: CNTV.cn)