KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sales of horse meat have shot up in Britain since last year’s much publicised food contamination scandal, the UK Daily Mirror has reported.

Brits are reportedly now consuming the meat which is leaner and costs less than beef.

“In January last year tests revealed the presence of horse meat in dozens of frozen meat products sold at several UK supermarkets. Most purported to be beef and none listed horse meat on the packaging. The mislabelling created a national debate on the subject, with many people outraged at the idea of eating horse meat, despite it being commonly consumed in a number of European countries including France, Germany and Italy,” the report said.

The Mirror said beef sales fell by about 3 per cent in Britain in 2013 as consumers lost confidence in the reliability of the information on packaging.

As a result of the rise in the sale of horse meat, the European Union recently proposed a new round of testing of products starting in spring to reassure consumers meat products were not being cross contaminated.

However, the controversy fuelled interest in the leaner meat as a substitute for beef, the price of which has continued to rise.

Darren Beale, whose company MuscleFood sells exotic meats, said: “Ever since horse meat was in the news last year we have been getting a steady flow of requests to stock it.

“It seems the message of the nutritional benefits of horse meat and its relative cost effectiveness compared to similar quality beef, has really gotten through to consumers.”

He said the company had struggled to keep up with the “exceptionally high” demand for the product, adding: “We decided to trial the meat and let our customers decide for themselves, so we sourced the highest quality horse meat available and we have been amazed by the results. The publicity that came from the horse meat scandal led to a greater understanding of the health benefits of the meat, it’s low fat and cholesterol content and its leanness.

Most customers order for that reason and because they are curious to try something new but then they come back and re-order because it tastes so great. It’s a similar taste to beef but perhaps a little sweeter. I’m convinced we are seeing the start of a fundamental change in the way British people view horse meat.”