THREE vegetarian meals out of a batch tested by trading standards watchdogs were found to contain animal fats.

Officers from Wiltshire County Council's trading standards department bought the meals from pubs, cafes, restaurants and takeaways in Wiltshire.

The testing was done as part of a routine food sampling programme and was looking to find whether vegetarian meals contained any meat, fish, game, poultry or animal fats.

Investigations into the three samples are continuing to see how animal fats might have got into them.

The county council believes the presence of animal fats was due to bad catering practice rather than any deliberate attempt to mislead.

Trading standards manager Steve Clover said: "While it was reassuring to find that the majority of the vegetarian meals tested were satisfactory my officers will, as a result of this survey, continue to advise the trade on the need for good catering practice and of their legal obligations when preparing and selling vegetarian meals."