Confidential New South Wales government documents have revealed that horse meat was found in mince products sold as beef or lamb in Australia.

The documents also reportedly detail cases where food products were contaminated with mouse fur , metal fragments and even needles.

The records were obtained by New South Wales Greens MP Abigail Boyd, who used parliamentary powers to access thousands of documents from the NSW Food Authority.

According to the documents, hundreds of businesses, including aged-care facilities, hospitals and catering companies, were issued notices for food safety breaches between 2022 and 2026.

The reported breaches included poor hygiene, expired food, failures to disclose dangerous bacteria, and improper food temperature control.

Following these serious revelations, experts are calling for Australia to establish a dedicated food fraud unit to scientifically test food products and strengthen food safety standards across the country.