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THE DEPARTMENT OF Agriculture has confirmed that equine DNA was found in products that were produced in the Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan between 3-14 January.
Having tested seven samples of raw ingredients, one, which had been sourced from another Member State, tested positive.
All ingredients which had been sourced from Irish suppliers tested negative for equine DNA.
Out of 13 samples of “finished burgers” that were tested, nine tested positive for equine DNA.
The Department of Agriculture have said that their investigations are set to continue.
In a statement tonight, the ABP Food Group said that as a result of the findings by the Department of Agriculture, they had decided “that the responsible course of action” was to suspend all production at the Silvercrest plant “with immediate effect.”
They also said that the current stock would not be released and that staff at the now-closed plant would continue to be paid.
Imported ingredients
The president of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association, Gabriel Gilmartin, expressed concern about the latest findings.
“It now looks increasingly like the problem is linked to imported raw materials,” he said.
We need answers on why there is any need for imported ingredients in burgers when Ireland is the biggest exporter of beef in the Northern hemisphere.
Gilmartin suggested that all meat processing plants should now ensure that they suspend the use of any imported material in meat products until this crisis is over.
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And it’s long overdue for Cork to have a seat at the United Nations. And a permanent seat on the security council to be held by Roy Keane in perpetuity.
@Seán: we have the last spot to limerick. Senator Blindboy wouldn’t approve
US sticking it’s nose where is doesn’t belong agian. What a surprise
@Mark Duffy: you could indeed. But what business is of the US what China decides to do? Didn’t see China interfere with the US invasion of the middle East. Seems the US has decided it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else.
@Roy Dowling: look what the US tried and failed to do with Cuba LOL if it wasn’t for the bleededn communist Russians they would of had there where way, US backed forces were slaughtered during ‘bay of the pigs’ same way the US backed Chinese nationals fled to form modern day Taiwan after the Civil war
@Mark Duffy: has the US ever actually helped a nation in the name of democracy? And not because it has expansive natural resources ?name one?
@Mark Duffy: Tawain isn’t a sovereign nation weather you want to admit it or not. Just because they want to be doesn’t make it so. The US has no business getting involved in what is essentially an internal matter for the Chinese.
@Roy Dowling: China no longer has to lower itself to the US, they are on par with them if anything and could go head to head in war with them, it wasn’t possible 2 decades ago, now it is
@Damon16: with the state of the health service here in Ireland i won’t be here in 20yrs time
@Alan Peters: Japan and Germany. That’s 2.
@Jonathan Baum: they helped Japan after detonating an atomic bomb because they seen it as a base in their paranoia against communism
@Jonathan Baum: why doesnt the US have a history of helping out struggling African nations? Bar taking slaves, because the European colonies stripped them of their natural resources and its not worth their their time, the middle east is a different story they can get something out of there
@Mark Duffy: a nations right to self determination? So you agree Israel is a sovereign country? Can Scotland just leave the UK tomorrow because its decides it’s now independent.? Taiwan is part of China that’s just a fact. A losing side of a civil war who retreated to Taiwan can’t just decide its now independent.
@Mark Duffy: Republic of Ireland isn’t part of the Uk.
@Mark Duffy: doesn’t matter if they decided it now or 40 years ago. You can’t just claim to be independent. Just like Scotland can’t it needs to hold a vote and the UK has to agree to let them have a vote otherwise there not legally independent.
@Donal McCarthy: Didn’t say they to submit to Chinese rule because of the Americans. I Said the Americans have no right to interfere big difference. You say Taiwan has a right to self determination. Does Israel not have the same right to self determination?
@Roy Dowling: well spotted ;)
@Alan Peters: the Marshall plan rebuilt the whole of western Europe after the war.
Its all geopolitics… Divide and conquer. The UK split Ireland in 2. They did the same with India and Pakistan. If you look at the middle east they did the very same with Syria, Iraq and Turkey with the Kurdish people. The west was also involved in splitting North Korea and South Korea, North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Taiwan is something similar, its a massive security risk for China. The UK and the US are sending war ships into Taiwan stirring tensions and its not by accident.
Can you imagine the outrage if Ireland became best friends with China and Russia and we invited ships with lots of weapons to dock in Dublin and Wexford and they pointed their shiny new weapons at London. I don’t think the UK would be too happy.
@Jonathan Baum: By the ‘world’ you mean the USA and the rump colonial powers of western Europe. The ‘world’ is happy to trade with China.
Biggest mistake was Nixon ever establishing diplomatic relations with China. One they did it, other followed suit . Lithuania has guts.
Taiwan is China. Falklands is Argentina.
have your say