Irish food safety firm in €17m Swiss deal

An Irish food safety and traceability company is targeting a number of nationwide deals with EU member states after signing a €17m deal which will see it guarantee the integrity of all of Switzerland’s beef production.

Dublin-based Identigen has signed the five-year contract — which will see it use its DNA-based software to trace all Swiss beef — with Proviande, the umbrella body for Switzerland’s beef industry.

“Traceability has shifted from being a ‘technical’ requirement to being a mechanism to underpin brand integrity and industry profitability. This deal demonstrates that DNA identification technology is increasingly scalable and can ensure the integrity of natonal meat brands. To underscore animal welfare, sustainability and ethical production claims, industry and consumers want certainty on where meat is coming from,” said Thomas Struckmeyer, head of Identigen’s Swiss operations.