Inspectors have so far found traces of horse in just two of the 370 samples it has taken in Dutch shops, meat processing plants and abattoirs, the food safety body NVWA has confirmed.

In one case, horse was identified in a consignment of beef scraps. In the other, beef was found in meat balls labelled as containing only beef and pork, the organisation said.

Earlier this week, Nos television said the two companies under suspicion are a meat processing plant in Oss and a meat dealer in Breda. Both cases have been handed over to the public prosecutor, the Nos said.