Test results are expected today from new samples taken at the Silvercrest Foods plant at the centre of the controversy over horse meat in beef burgers.

The samples, taken by Department of Agriculture staff at the Ballybay, Co Monaghan, plant on Tuesday, will show if its burgers still contain horse DNA.

They were ordered by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney after it emerged that a Tesco Everyday Value beef burger made at the plant contained 29.1 per cent horse DNA, relative to meat content.

The finding emerged after the Food Safety Authority of Ireland analysed 27 frozen beef burger products. It found 10, or 37 per cent, tested positive for horse DNA. With the exception of the Tesco burger, the other samples showed horse DNA at very low levels, of 0.1 to 0.3 per cent.

Neigh, neigh and thrice neigh.