If the thought of having eaten Romanian cart horses in mislabelled frozen lasagne is making Britons choke, a loyal minority in France laments a dwindling appetite for a meat they say is a tastier and healthier alternative to beef.

"When horses are reared properly it's a delicious meat. It's much tastier than beef and has much less fat," said Gerard Marin, 67.

British and EU officials will try to work out today how to contain a scandal over horse meat sold as beef.

The scandal, affecting a growing number of European countries and retailers, began in Ireland when its food-safety authority discovered horse meat in frozen beef burgers.

The revelations raised questions about the integrity of the food-supply chain.

France's taste for horse meat dates back to when 18th-century revolutionaries stole the horses of the hated aristos. Reuters