A study of 4,000 consumers also placed the Apple smart phone - which has sold 42 million units since its launch in 2007 - ahead of the car, camera and flushing toilet. The wheel was voted as the most important invention in history, with the aeroplane in second place, the lightbulb third, the worldwide web fourth and computers fifth. Other inventions to make the top ten included Graham Bell's telephone in sixth place, followed by Sir Alexander Flemming's discovery of Penicillin. The iPhone came eighth, while Thomas Crapper's flushing toilet was ninth. The internal combustion engine came tenth. Central heating (13th), painkillers (15th) and the steam engine (16th) also made the grade, while spectacles finished off the top 20. Lance Batchelor, Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Mobile, which carried out the nationwide research among 18-65 year-olds, said: "All of the inventions included in this list have changed the world forever. "Whether it be something as small as a paper clip, to something which changed the face of the universe like the combustion engine, these amazing feats have all been recognized as truly great.

"Some - like the washing machine and wheel - have made our lives easier, while wireless technology and the internet have changed the face of communication. "Others like the remote control, hair-dryer and hoover have all been created for convenience." A catalogue of creations which make our lives easier also made the list, such as the Hoover (23), remote control (43), power steering (50) and spell-check (86). spring tension curtain rod argosKitchen appliances featured heavily in the top 100 including the Fridge (14), Freezer (17), Microwave (26) and Kettle (40). spring tension curtain rod argosA string of technological advancements such as Google, SAT NAV, Wi-Fi and Sky+ also appeared. covina purple and ivory shower curtain

Appearance was also deemed important - fashion-conscious Brits voted for hair-straighteners (34), make up (66), push-up bra (77) and mascara (80). Among the unusual items were the food blender, curtains, the baby's dummy and post-it notes. Lance Batchelor added: "It's amazing to see how much the iPhone is valued, sitting alongside inventions such as Penicillin in people's perceptions and being declared a more important invention than miracle gadgets of their own time, such as the compass. "curtains old hag maskNo wonder the iPhone has been flying off the shelves at Tesco, as it allows us to have everything we need at our finger tips." curtains hermanus100 GREATEST INVENTIONS 1. omnistor curtainsKnife and fork 37. vwt25 curtains

Sun tan lotion 65. The game of football 70. Dustpan and brush 99. Meat in Tesco burgers which was found to contain horse DNA did not come from a list of "approved suppliers", the supermarket chain has claimed.The retailer has dropped Silvercrest, part of the ABP Food Group, as a supplier, saying the "breach of trust [was] simply too great". Tesco said it would introduce a DNA testing system for meat products to "ensure the quality" of its goods.ABP said it had "let customers down" and apologised for the failures.An internal investigation by Tesco also found meat used by at the Silvercrest facility in County Monaghan, in the Republic of Ireland, originated from outside the UK and Ireland, contrary to the supermarket chain's policy. Horse and pig DNA was also found by Ireland's food safety authority (FSAI) in value burgers sold by Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores.Tim Smith, group technical director at Tesco, said the supermarket would introduce a "comprehensive system of DNA testing across our meat products" to stop horsemeat from entering the food chain again."

Ultimately Tesco is responsible for the food we sell, so it is not enough just to stop using the supplier," he said in a statement."These checks will set a new standard. It will be a significant investment for Tesco, borne by Tesco. "We want to leave customers in no doubt that we will do whatever it takes to ensure the quality of their food and that the food they buy is exactly what the label says it is."In response, Paul Finnerty, chief executive of ABP Food Group, said the firm had "learnt important lessons" and was "determined to ensure this never happens again".He added: "We have put in place new procedures to audit all our third party suppliers. We have also established comprehensive DNA testing procedures - we will become an industry leader in this area."He said Silvercrest remained closed and the management had been changed.Tesco's planned DNA checks were welcomed by MPs during a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday morning.Environment Minister David Heath said supermarkets had a legal and moral responsibility to ensure they know where their products come from."

Certainly there is the suggestion from Tesco today in this case their supplier had been using produce from a non-registered, a non-approved forward supplier," he said."That must be of concern to them in their regulation of their food supply chain."Shadow environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies also approved of the move, insisting that food checks "need to be far more rigorous" than in the past.Tesco issued an "unreserved apology" in full-page spreads of several UK newspapers on 16 January in the wake of the scandal.In one sample from a Tesco beefburger, horsemeat accounted for approximately 29% of the meat content, the FSAI said.Tesco withdrew the affected products from sale. They included its Tesco Everyday Value 8 x Frozen Beef Burgers (397g), Tesco 4 x Frozen Beef Quarter Pounders (454g) and a branded product, Flamehouse Frozen Chargrilled Quarter Pounders.In total, about 10 million value beefburgers were withdrawn from sale across all of the supermarket chains implicated.The environment food and rural affairs committee is due to hear evidence from the government, Tesco and the Food Standards Agency on Wednesday.