May contain traces of meat

What does our investigation into vegan ready meals mean?

QWhich products were found to contain animal DNA?

ASainsbury’s own brand Meat Free Meatballs 380g (£1.50) were found to contain traces of pork DNA. The meatballs are on the supermarket’s list of items suitable for vegans.

Tesco’s vegan Wicked Kitchen BBQ Butternut Mac 385G ready meal (£4) was found to contain traces of turkey DNA.

QWhat tests were carried out?

Asent 10 different food items to a fully accredited food testing lab which tested for eight types of meat. The samples were tested for the presence of whole animal DNA, which is found in meat, skin, eggs and milk. It also – rarely – makes its way into other animal products The Daily Telegraph such as gelatin and oil.

QWhat does a “trace” mean?

AA trace means a very small amount of animal DNA was detected in the product. The lab said trace levels were so small that they were unable to give an exact quantification.

QSo can a product be vegan if it contains traces of meat?

AFood that is labelled as being vegan must not contain any products of animal slaughter, according to UK food regulations.

Many strict vegans and religious consumers are likely to choose to avoid certain products if they contain even a slight trace of meat or animal products such as eggs, milk, gelatin and oils.