Just 4.5 million kilos of possibly-contaminated meat has been recovered after the massive recall launched earlier this year, junior economic affairs minister Sharon Dijksma told MPs on Friday.

Some 50 tonnes of meat, which may have been contaminated with horse meat, was sold by Dutch processor Selten to over 1,400 shops, butchers and supermarkets between January 2011 and February 2013.

The Dutch food safety body NVWA recalled the meat in April at the height of the horse meat scandal. The NVWA said at the time, the origins of the meat were uncertain and safety could not be guaranteed.