A company in Cyprus has destroyed 16.5 tonnes of burgers fearing they were contaminated with horse meat, the veterinary services reports Cyprus Mail. Authorities did not name the company, adding that it disposed of the burgers when the news broke that meat products labelled as beef were found to contain horse.

“When the furore erupted it sought to destroy them despite not being implicated in the case,” vet services director Giorgos Kyriakides said. “They destroyed them on suspicion that maybe it was horse meat and it was later proven that it (company) was not implicated.” Kyriakides said the meat was destroyed a few days ago in the presence of officials from his department.