Poland named as source of horsemeat in burgers
Poland named as source of horsemeat in burgers
An investigation by the Irish government has laid the blame for the supply of horsemeat that caused the recent burger crisis on a Polish company.
Ireland’s Agriculture and Food Minister, Simon Coveney confirmed that the DNA detected in the meat imported by Silvercrest had been from: “Another member state as raw material for the production of burgers.”
While earlier results had shown trace levels of equine DNA in imported raw materials, the latest results showed significant levels of equine DNA, (4.1%) in raw material which was used in the manufacture of burgers which the Department had found to contain significant amounts of equine DNA. The investigation has therefore established a direct correlation between burgers in which a high level of equine DNA was detected and this raw material product. The Minister said he was confident that this finding leads to a firm conclusion that the raw material in question was the source of equine DNA introduced into burgers manufactured at Silvercrest.
The Minister also reaffirmed that tests on samples taken from Irish food ingredients were negative and he was pleased that the integrity of Irish food production was maintained.
The objective of the intensive investigation carried out by the Department and the FSAI was to identify the source of the equine DNA and to find the cause of the problem.
From the point of view of preserving the integrity and reputation of the Irish food industry it was particularly important that the investigation was carried out in a thorough, prompt, secure and transparent manner. Very significant resources were deployed around the clock by his Department and FSAI to find the source of this food incident so that consumers can be fully reassured. Over 140 samples of primary products and ingredients have been tested for equine DNA. Three burgers and one imported ingredient tested positive for significant levels of equine DNA.
The Minister said that there had been engagement with the company at senior level since the start. Under food legislation, the company has primary responsibility for the quality and standards of production at the plant and had carried out its own investigation. The current findings of the official investigation do not show any evidence that the company deliberately used horsemeat in their production process. The authorities in the Member State concerned have been informed of the findings of the investigation.
The Minister said that his priority since day one was to ensure that whatever the findings, procedures would be put in place to uphold the integrity of food produced in Ireland and that our reputation and good standing internationally for our food exports would be maintained. In that regard he has been assured by ABP management that it will fully comply with conditions the Minister will apply to continued production standards at Silvercrest.
The company will commence a deep cleansing of the plant under new management and will submit to a six month period of direct scrutiny by department inspectors, after which it will be reviewed. As part of this supervision, the Department will carry out weekly sampling of production in order to provide the necessary reassurance to its customers on the integrity of the production chain. A key component of this is the company’s commitment to source all its raw material from Ireland and the UK.
In conclusion, the Minister said that the intensive investigation was now winding down.
