On the eve of Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney giving a briefing to politicians on the recent horse meat controversy associated with Silvercrest Foods, a second Irish meat processing plant has now tested positive for traces of equine DNA in raw ingredient. Test results have now confirmed that raw material ingredients at Rangeland Foods, Castleblaney, in Co Monaghan are also contaminated and the company has suspended production.
The Department of Agriculture has confirmed findings of 75% DNA in the companies raw ingredients at the plant. This investigation is focusing on the overall supply chain, and the link to the meat trader concerned and others, who initially facilitated the purchase of this product transfer to manufacturers here in Ireland.
These findings come just days after ABP Food Group, owned by Mr Larry Goodman, lost an estimated €45 million in Supermarket contracts to Aldi, Tesco, Burger King and the Co-Operative Group.
Rangeland Foods, established in 1892, employ some 80 staff & have an estimated turnover of some €18million. Production has been suspended at Rangeland and the company state that none of this product has yet entered the food chain.
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has requested Gardaí to join his investigation teams, in an effort to discover whether similar produce has now been used in other meat processing plants.
Supermacs, who have a retail outlet here in Thurles, are buyers of beef burgers from Rangeland Foods, however the former retail “Fast Food Chain” claim to carry out their own independent DNA testing, thus ensuring that the burgers they retail are 100% Irish beef and devoid of equine DNA.
Ireland’s reputation as a producer of high quality food is now in question, in relation to all types of processed meat products currently on sale in our Supermarkets & Fast Food Outlets.
This type of produce is regularly the choice of low income families, whose normal bread winners are currently unemployed. Is there no end to what we are prepared to attempt in order to maximise company profits? Time to return to the high street local family butcher. Time for the Department of Agriculture to name names and allow heads to roll publicly.
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