Pork products recalled by Kerry Group worth up to €5m a week
Its Denny brand is the market leader in Ireland in savoury products such as sausages, rashers, puddings, and ready meals.
The company was expected to resume product supply this week, but like all processors, faced a cash flow impact in reimbursing customers for returned product, exacerbated by increased Christmas period throughput.
The Irish Association of Pigmeat Processors have called for emergency financial assistance from the government, saying members couldn’t resume slaughtering until cost implications of the pigmeat recall are addressed.
They indicated that costs of about €100 million could pose a major liquidity problem. Costs of disposal, and of re-initiation of plants are included — but might in some cases be covered by product recall insurance, if not recoverable by legal routes.
Bord Bia has announced a consumer information campaign to accompany the return of Irish pork and bacon produced after December 7 to shops. Companies will hope to minimise lasting effects on sales levels and profit margins in the key weeks ahead for sales, perhaps by cutting prices.
Meanwhile, Breeo Foods was quick off the mark with an immediate plan to temporarily use pork meat from other EU countries for its Galtee, Shaws, Roscrea and Barcastle brands. The meat is sourced mainly from its Breeo Foods Holland business, and approved suppliers in Britain, Germany and Denmark.
Breeo’s Galtee and Kerry’s Denny are the leading brands in the rashers market, according to the Competitions Authority.
In sausages and puddings, Kerry’s closest competitor is Clonakilty.
The supermarkets’ own label products are also major sellers.
