Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A MONAGHAN MEAT company has suspended production after horse DNA was found in a consignment of beef imported from Poland.
Test results show the raw material ingredient from Poland contained 75 per cent equine DNA.
Rangeland Foods in Castleblaney initially carried out its own tests on the ingredient from Poland and informed the Department of Agriculture of its results last Thursday evening. The Department carried out further tests of the foodstuff and received a positive result confirming the presence of equine DNA today.
The ingredient from Poland was never used in any products, the company said in a statement this evening.
Rangeland Food said it has temporarily halted production to carry out a full investigation.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association has reacted angrily to the latest revelation.
ICSA president Gabriel Gilmartin said the news was a “deeply worrying development [which] has left farmers furious,” adding: “It suggests that the minister will now have to move quickly to investigate all meat processing plants”. He said:
We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible – the drip feeding of bad news is extremely damaging.
Irish farmers have put so much effort into traceability at farm level and they are furious that this is undermined by unnecessary imports of meat product and shoddy standards further down the line.
The Department of Agriculture said tonight it is in contact with Polish authorities as part of the ongoing investigation into horse meat in Irish beef products as all implicated raw material ingredients have been labelled as being of Polish origin.
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has asked the Gardaí to join the investigation. He has also tasked the Special Investigation Unit to take part in the ongoing enquiries.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Why are they importing beef from Poland?….no disrespect to Poland but aren’t we one of the largest beef producers in Europe?….
we’re supposed to be the biggest exporter of beef in the northern hemisphere, so yeah it does sound a bit odd..
Probably cheaper than Irish, to make cheaper (and nastier) burgers. Consumers need to learn that if you want guaranteed quality in food there is a cost. I know times are hard but if you buy cheap mass produced burgers or cheap mass produced food of any type there’s a reason it’s cheap…
Supplying Irish people with second grade beef, so the export Irish beef at Premium rate prices.
well u said it all. was just thinking the same myslef
its polish additives, cheap bulking agents.
Were NOT importing beef from anywhere! Its the crap that holds the beef together…..oh wait! What are horses know for…….glue!
Are our beef burgers are being together with horse glue?
Ah..Hhhemmm…
Pure business decision. If it costs larry goodman less to import beef than rare his own then that’s what he did. He doesn’t care where it comes from once it makes him more money, less hassle and he gets to fool the masses. I’d say he did it for many years before being caught.
Economics – you import cheap ‘beef’ from Poland and export expensive Irish beef to the Middle East and earn high revenue.
“Why are they importing beef from Poland?”
They aren’t. That’s the point.
first paragraph in the article states ” consignment of beef imported from Poland “
Because the fuc*ers wont pay for Irish beef, thats why theyre importing beef from Poland.
Ironically, it’s like the immigration issue, We import the wrost and export the best.
Jamie, it’s not beef though.
People want cheap food , by God they have it
My Anarchist Trek, you poor thing. Not good enough to emigrate and stuck here with inferior foreigners. Here, have a biscuit.
What a nasty, selfish, greedy little country we live in. The rich get richer and the poor and sick get screwed. It never changes but I live in hope as we all do – fools that we are.
I think whats upsetting me the most is Poland put 25% beef into those delicious Horse Burgers :(
‘Only fools and horses’ comes to mind!!
I feel so sorry for anyone who is so broke they have to eat those awful burgers for a bit of meat. I love horse meat and so don’t have a problem with it per se but I would hate the thought that I don’t know what I’m eating. It’s just not right!
Some people just like burgers. You don’t have to be broke to eat them.
You could be rich and savvy with your money, buying cheap burgers.
They’re not awful. They’re tasty
Just stop importing this meat filler from Poland Spain etc otherwise our beef exports will collapse took ages for the world to accept our Beef was safe now we’re back on the map For the wrong reasons once more!!!
75% ? getting a bit serious now..
Indeed. As soon as they get rid of that 25% we can buy bona fide horse burgers – by all accounts quite cheaply.
Why does the blurb above the caption describe it as a ‘trace’?
Those damn bondholders.
Why are they not testing processed poultry? Another can of worms there if you ask me!
…the plot chickens…
ya…but i wonder what the other 25% is???
Rangeland are a massive supplier indeed Supermacs had ads saying it is their supplier so going to be very interesting to see how this plays out now. While they may not have used the delivery they got in January have they used this filler before?
that’s hilarious. companies cutting back and it has come back to bite them.
My question is what the hell are we doing importing meat when our own irish meat is the best …………………
cheap bulking agents.
To all the red thumbers, I’m not being condescending. I’m genuinely concerned about how people can control their health if they can’t control what they eat. I know people who have to buy those and all I’m saying is that it’s not because they’re poor that they should be given potentially dangerous products. Those are not the people to make a quick buck on!
Why is it potentially dangerous?
I know the horse isn’t dangerous but if they’re lying about what’s in it then anything and everything could go in. You need to be able to trust the ingredients listing of what you buy.
True enough.
ya its worrying.
yeah I had one recently and got the trots from it :-)
Seriously though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwZY1jaw2EM (Food Matters)
Very interesting Huzar!
We do have a minister for food and agriculture. To blame the poles is bull-shit. This is Irish manufacturers importing cheap crap because they can make mor profit from it. Meanwhile the likes of tescos, dunnes, super value etc dictate their terms to the farmers.
There is something seriously stinking about the food industry here. And we the public are the ones expected to stomach it. I want to vomit !
So people are trying to do their bit by buying Irish beef products but yet we now find out that some Irish products are neither beef nor Irish. We just cannot win.
We can win by not buying cheap crappy meat patties. Go to a butchers and get some genuine meat.
I wonder will the Poles react with fury and indignation again?
I guess that the “Irish” processed meats factories just aren’t prepared to support our own farmers. The world has gone to shit. Is every industry driven by greed now?
You’re wondering why the food industry is driven by greed?
The problem is not greed the problem basically is these companies are trying to survive, saved jobs and cost cutting is a required part of the course. The government are the real criminals in this fiasco. The increase in VAT and fuel costs, other high & stealth taxes etc are driving businesses into the ground and they are doing anything to survive. If anything the governments should have reduced VAT and Fuel costs, and taken its austere stranglehold off the economy. As has been stated again and again by economists, a country can’t tax it’s way out of a recession yet this logical statement is falling on deaf ears. If Ireland continues to tax people and companies into the ground (and removing deposable income from the economy) the only thing we can do is brace ourselves ourselves for more of the same. As product quality, product safety and other standards will be compromised in the interest of survival, and the preservation of jobs.
I only half agree with you there. I accept that there is a thin line between greed and survival, but to say “here is your 100% beef burger …” Knowing its not 100%, that is deception / greed
“Here is your ‘value’ (80%) beef burger, with 20% bulking matter (may include horse)” well that is ok.
I don’t mind people trying to make an honest buck. An HONEST buck. That’s survival.
Ban all imports from Poland until they sort their stuff out. It’s happened Ireland before and we got it sorted.
so stop importing foreign meats, simples.
What about the denials of the Polish veterinary officer who said their tests were all negative? Was this company not tested? I heard Pat McDonagh on radio last week and I am pretty sure he said that Supermacs don’t use bulking material in their burgers. The plot thickens.
Quick buck merchants will ruin the beef trade for farmers. The farmers are scrutinised to an inch of their lives but seems to be the factories are allowed do what ever they feel like.
Ah but is it our own or is it foreign stuff cut up here and then stamped Irish because it was processed here????
When a product says “Irish product” it should be Irish not just produced in Ireland. Other wise say “produced in Ireland may contain ingredients from other countries” We should know the source of the ingredients
APB Foods Group behind this shite, Isn’t time too ask Mr Goodman some serious questions now ?
Bandit country!
this is a load of shergar
Larry Goodman wrecked our beef industry before, now he’s doing it again. Rangeland are buying the products from Poland because otherwise Larry Goodman would have undercut and put other firms out of business. Rangeland held their hands up as soon as they discovered it.
The Rangeland Company web site clearly states that ALL of the products they manufacture use ONLY Irish Sourced ingredients. How come they were found to have imported ingredients at their plant? Was there a middle man involved?
what the hell is going on here? mother of God? people need to answer some serious questions here
Why are people buying burgers with fillers in them? just get the butcher to mince the beef and make them at home yourself! one its healthier, two its tastier and three they’re more filling which means less crap like chips and other fried crap, I’ve seen tesco burgers, they don’t even look like food more like soggy beer mats from a night out.
Delighted the Garda Unit is involved .The Meat Companies are running rings around the Department of Agriculture and the likes of Bord Bia ,Food Safety Authority and the customers including all the leading high street food chains.
If our processed meat export markets start to refuse to take our produce we are in big trouble if you look at the statistics on how much money it brings into the country.
I hope Ireland can be first mover and legitimately ban imports of falsified meat components from overseas to nip this in the bud.
I hope we do not discover that, just like our banking, insurance and property development CEOs, that cute hoorism hasn’t rotted more Irish industries to the core.
If it’s 7% then they actually found beef DNA in the equine product & not the other way around
*75% obviously
What the hell are we importing beef for in the first place when we are world renowned beef exporters?
@ Declan, exactly!
These burgers contained horse meat derivatives which came from a factory in Poland. Now here’s the REAL question ….. Who owns the said factory in Poland ?????
I wonder would an Irish beef baron be involved …..
The REAL revelation is not that there were traces of horsemeat. Its is the much much more straighforward fact that what was being branded as “100% irish Beef” was most definitely NOT 100% Irish.
Who owns Rangeland meats? Please don’t tell me Larry Goodman!
kevin made a good point. Just go to your local butcher. End up cheaper in the long run as well..
Polish Horse find Human in its Hot Dog
Oh great the polish cows were being fed horse meat. Wow that’s sick. Think we’re gonna be heading towards a new outbreak. Beware people!! I’m sticking with veg!!!!!
Of course you’ve got to see the funny side too. Come next grand national, my tener is going on Daisy
I’m guessing – bring it over here – mix in a bit of Irish beef – label it Irish.
The gardai? Seriously? Special investigation branch unit squad or whatever its called, they’re pretty busy as it is aren’t they? Not that I don’t want this sorted before it damages our reputation and what not, but jezzz…..the gaurds?!!
@ Stephen, they have transferred over the garlic police to this.
Being serious, I would understand Garda involvement if there was a health risk but from what I have seen so far, no health risk as been identified.
I going to become a vegan,pretty sure you can’t put a bulking agent in a “carrot”!!
Larry.Goodman could if there was money to be made from it
Gallup polls shows Irish meat products have reduced in popularity. Some of us have been taken for a ride.
I am bridling with indignation.
SILVERCREST FOODS ????
There is a new film being made on this. ” A bullock called horse”.
Stop horsing around!
Was it the Poles who had the last cavalry regiment early in World War 2
Its easy to say “from Poland”. Polish food its much better than most of Irish one. Why company never say from which company they take this burgers? Because they dont have the proof and they will land in court for that
Ya ya ya. Giddy up burgers.
Where’s the beef?
Oh no not the second wave of horsty jokes ……
I’ve got a horse inside …
I don’t belive that Polish beef could have equine DNA. We export horses to Italy but they are alive during transport and there are people who try to stop it. As far as I know we do not consume equine in Poland.
from poland? really? horse meat isn’t more expensive than beef ? …… Is fecit, cui prodest ..
have your say