Since January, processed foods sold as beef have been found to contain DNA from other animals. Although the scandal first emerged in the UK and Ireland, where beef-burgers made for supermarket chain Tesco were found to contain traces of horsemeat, it has since spread throughout the EU.

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EU authorities are expected to publish the results of their investigations into the situation later this week. Meanwhile, supermarket chains in particular have suffered as shoppers turn to local and organic retailers, whilst meat processors implicated in the debacle have lost lucrative supermarket and catering contracts worth millions of pounds.

The Food Standards Agency in Britain has been overseeing a testing programme of meat products on sale in supermarkets and local authority catering establishments. Agriculture minister Heath claimed on Monday that, so far, "The results confirm that adulteration of beef products with horse or pork meat has been limited to a relatively small number of products."

Updating parliament on the latest developments in the debacle, Me Heath said the results of industry testing would continue to be published quarterly. Although the government claims the scandal is the result of the dishonest actions of a few criminal operators, food policy experts have said it highlights the shortcomings of the current food system, describing the widespread fraud as "a normal accident… inevitable because it is inherent in system design."

On Monday, the farming minister said UK authorities continue to work with the EU Commission, which is attempting to gain a handle on the situation, via agencies in individual Member states and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

Mr Heath said that, with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's agreement, a strategic review of the incident will be launched in the coming weeks, coordinated by Defra and the Department for Health. The study will look at the implications for the food sector and regulators of the 'horsemeat' scandal. He said the review "Will advise us of vulnerabilities within the food chain and its regulatory framework that might be exploited for other fraudulent activity."

The review will aim to restore consumer confidence in the food establishment, which has been severely shaken by recent events. The minister said, "Consumers must have confidence in the food they buy and have every right to expect that food is correctly described. It is also right that any weaknesses in our food system and the controls it is subject to are identified and dealt with."

He added that the possibility of an external review of the UK authorities' handling of the scandal will be debated at the Food Standards Agency's board meeting on Wednesday.