Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke has vowed to win back customers’ trust following the horse meat scandal as he tightens up its supply chain and makes it more transparent.

The Tesco boss appeared in a video message this morning to tell customers the actions the grocer is taking to ensure their trust is not misguided following the controversy, in which it was one of many UK grocers which was found to be selling products which included horse meat.

He said: “I’ve asked the team to go right back up the supply chain and to be absolutely certain that the suppliers who manufactured food products for Tesco do so in the way that you’d expect, with real care and attention, with strong ability to trace back to the farmers who produce so we can guarantee, and you can believe, that the products we sell are completely trustworthy, safe and nutritious.”

The grocer has also vowed to make its supply chain more transparent to the consumer, with customers able to view on Tesco’s website the farms and factories in which its food is produced.

Clarke also said if ever a product has to be withdrawn the retailer will ensure it has a substitute which the customer will be able to buy at the same price as the original.