By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:32 EST, 22 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:17 EST, 26 March 2013 . Pure horsemeat imported from Hungary was sold to British shoppers as 'diced beef', officials have confirmed. Nearly half the meat had already been sold to the public before its true provenance was discovered. The Food Standards Agency said that 100kg (220lb) of horsemeat was imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston, Lancashire, and sold on its market stall in town and a shop in Liverpool. On sale: Hungarian Food Ltd has been found to be selling horsemeat falsely labelled as diced beef at its market stall in Preston, Lancashire (stock image) Ongoing investigation: Officers from Lancashire County Council, pictured, made the discovery and the remaining unsold meat has been withdrawn from sale . The remaining unsold 1kg bags have been withdrawn from sale. An FSA spokesman said: 'The Food . Standards Agency has been informed by Lancashire County Council that it . has identified 100kg of horsemeat imported from Hungary labelled as . beef. 'The meat was imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston. 'Investigations showed that 40kg . (90lb) were sold through Hungarian Food Ltd's own market stall in . Preston, and through a shop in Liverpool called Taste of Hungary. Horsemeat: The latest revelations come after Leeds-based supermarket giant Asda admitted it had removed its £1.54 corned beef products from stores across Britain two weeks ago on March 8 . 'The meat was sold in 1kg (2.2lb) bags labelled as “diced beef”. 'The Food Standards Agency has notified the European Commission and the Hungarian authorities.' The meat is being tested for  the anti-inflammatory veterinary drug bute, the FSA confirmed. The manager of Taste of Hungary admitted that he ate some of the meat, thinking it was beef. Attila Fabian, who runs the shop in . Sefton, Merseyside, said that he bought 20 bags from Hungarian Food Ltd . last May instead of importing it directly – but it sold so badly that he . took four or five bags home for his family. 'It tasted like beef, it looked  like beef. I was shocked when environmental health told me what happened exactly.' Mr Fabian said his shop sold about a . dozen bags of the horsemeat, leaving three bags left in the freezer. They have now been taken away for tests. He said the shop had ceased . trading with Hungarian Food Ltd after the firms 'fell out' last July. The horsemeat food-labelling scandal . began when Irish food inspectors announced in mid-January that they had . found horse in frozen beef- burgers made by firms in Ireland and . Britain, and sold by a number of supermarket chains including Tesco, . Iceland, Aldi and Lidl. Since then, a growing number of stores . and companies across Europe, including Findus and Nestle, have recalled . beef ready-meals after tests found they contained horse DNA. Beginning of a national scandal: Tesco Everyday Value beefburgers were one of the first products removed from shelves removed after it was discovered they contained horse meat . Minced beef supplied to hundreds of . hospitals, schools, hotels and care homes by caterer 3663 was recalled . because of horsemeat contamination. Its own-label minced beef was supplied . by a company called  GA International, which is based  in Yorkshire. The same processor also supplied contaminated mince to a second major . catering company, Sodexo, which would have passed it on to schools, care . homes and military bases. A survey this month showed that three in five people have changed their eating habits in the wake of the scandal. Nearly a third are buying less . processed meat, such as burgers, while one in four now avoid meat-based . ready-meals, according to consumer group Which?. It wants the Government to take urgent steps to ensure food labels are accurate, and for more random testing to be introduced.
Meat imported by Hungarian Food Ltd and sold on market stall in Lancashire .
Horse flesh was also being sold a shop in Liverpool called Taste of Hungary .
All remaining unsold meat has been withdrawn from sale, FSA said .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:32 EST, 22 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:17 EST, 26 March 2013 . Pure horsemeat imported from Hungary was sold to British shoppers as 'diced beef', officials have confirmed. Nearly half the meat had already been sold to the public before its true provenance was discovered. The Food Standards Agency said that 100kg (220lb) of horsemeat was imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston, Lancashire, and sold on its market stall in town and a shop in Liverpool. On sale: Hungarian Food Ltd has been found to be selling horsemeat falsely labelled as diced beef at its market stall in Preston, Lancashire (stock image) Ongoing investigation: Officers from Lancashire County Council, pictured, made the discovery and the remaining unsold meat has been withdrawn from sale . The remaining unsold 1kg bags have been withdrawn from sale. An FSA spokesman said: 'The Food . Standards Agency has been informed by Lancashire County Council that it . has identified 100kg of horsemeat imported from Hungary labelled as . beef. 'The meat was imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston. 'Investigations showed that 40kg . (90lb) were sold through Hungarian Food Ltd's own market stall in . Preston, and through a shop in Liverpool called Taste of Hungary. Horsemeat: The latest revelations come after Leeds-based supermarket giant Asda admitted it had removed its £1.54 corned beef products from stores across Britain two weeks ago on March 8 . 'The meat was sold in 1kg (2.2lb) bags labelled as “diced beef”. 'The Food Standards Agency has notified the European Commission and the Hungarian authorities.' The meat is being tested for  the anti-inflammatory veterinary drug bute, the FSA confirmed. The manager of Taste of Hungary admitted that he ate some of the meat, thinking it was beef. Attila Fabian, who runs the shop in . Sefton, Merseyside, said that he bought 20 bags from Hungarian Food Ltd . last May instead of importing it directly – but it sold so badly that he . took four or five bags home for his family. 'It tasted like beef, it looked  like beef. I was shocked when environmental health told me what happened exactly.' Mr Fabian said his shop sold about a . dozen bags of the horsemeat, leaving three bags left in the freezer. They have now been taken away for tests. He said the shop had ceased . trading with Hungarian Food Ltd after the firms 'fell out' last July. The horsemeat food-labelling scandal . began when Irish food inspectors announced in mid-January that they had . found horse in frozen beef- burgers made by firms in Ireland and . Britain, and sold by a number of supermarket chains including Tesco, . Iceland, Aldi and Lidl. Since then, a growing number of stores . and companies across Europe, including Findus and Nestle, have recalled . beef ready-meals after tests found they contained horse DNA. Beginning of a national scandal: Tesco Everyday Value beefburgers were one of the first products removed from shelves removed after it was discovered they contained horse meat . Minced beef supplied to hundreds of . hospitals, schools, hotels and care homes by caterer 3663 was recalled . because of horsemeat contamination. Its own-label minced beef was supplied . by a company called  GA International, which is based  in Yorkshire. The same processor also supplied contaminated mince to a second major . catering company, Sodexo, which would have passed it on to schools, care . homes and military bases. A survey this month showed that three in five people have changed their eating habits in the wake of the scandal. Nearly a third are buying less . processed meat, such as burgers, while one in four now avoid meat-based . ready-meals, according to consumer group Which?. It wants the Government to take urgent steps to ensure food labels are accurate, and for more random testing to be introduced.
Preston, Lancashire, and sold on its market stall the remaining unsold meat has been withdrawn from withdrawn from sale. An FSA spokesman said: 'The imported by Hungarian Food Ltd in Preston. stall in . Preston, and through a shop in Liverpool called Taste of Hungary. Horsemeat: The