A new meatball brand is looking to use Italian heritage and Irish charm to secure a piece of the fast-growing category.

Petruzzi’s meatballs are ready-cooked in a tomato sauce made to the recipe of founder Melissa McCullough’s Irish-American great grandmother Theresa Petruzzi.

Made from 100% Northern Irish beef, the brand has secured a Sainsbury’s listing and will go into its Northern Irish stores next month.

The meatballs will carry the Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance logo on packs and will use the strapline ‘Italian soul - Irish attitude’.

Last month, Ikea pulled meatballs from sale after horsemeat was found in a batch.

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