Burger King says it has currently stopped using products from the Irish company at the centre of the horse meat controversy.

The major fast-food chain says it is replacing all Silvercrest burgers in the UK and Ireland with products from another approved supplier as a precaution.

It is the first definitive blow for the Irish food industry since it was revealed that equine and pig DNA were found in burgers from a number of Irish processing plants.

Burger King says its customers want to know they can be trusted to serve "only the highest quality products".

It says it takes the issue very seriously and is carrying out its own investigation into the matter.

The firms adds "While this is not a food safety issue according to findings from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), upon learning of these allegations, we immediately launched an independent investigation that is currently on going".

Fergal O'Brien reports.