Horsemeat burgers plant discovered in Poland‏

Polish suppliers have been found responsible for imported meat products that were found to contain up to 29% horse meat last month.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), in an analysis of imported meat, found that ten out of 27 beef burgers and 23 out of 27 pork burgers tested positive for contamination.

Sources were traced to two processing plants in Ireland, Liffey Meats and Silvercrest Foods, as well as one plant in the UK, Dalepak Hambleton. All of which are suppliers of Tesco, Iceland, Lidl, Aldi and Burger King.

APB Food Group, Europe’s biggest beef exporter, which owns Silvercrest Foods, has stated that it is “extremely disappointed” with the discovery and has recalled all of the contaminated products.

Burger King, in a statement last Thursday, stated it had dropped APB Food Group as a supplier voluntarily due to concerns even though there had been no evidence that their burgers had been contaminated.

Most products only contained small traces of the horse meat but Tesco’s Everyday Value beef and pork burgers were found to contain 29% horse DNA.

Larry Goodman, founder and executive chairman of ABP, stated that “[they] have been let down,” and suspected the contamination had come from suppliers on the continent.

In a statement Simon Coveney said: “The current findings of the official investigation do not show any evidence that the company Silvercrest deliberately used horse meat in their production process.”

APB’s Chief Executive Paul Finnerty, also stated last month that the company was investigating two third-party overseas suppliers.

Although at first APB pointed the finger at the Netherlands and Spain it has now been found by the Irish government that Polish suppliers were responsible.

Paul Finnerty has now released a statement stating he is glad the true source has been found.

“While the company has never knowingly purchased or traded in equine product, I wish to take this opportunity to apologise for the impact this issue has cause,” he said.

Ironically the scandal that trashed over ten million meat burgers came this year soon after it was reported that 40% of world food produce is wasted in a report by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

Patrick Corby