Food safety fears as looters make off with pork haul

DODGY dealers may be offering unsafe pork, stolen from a crashed lorry, to unsuspecting customers.

Eating the suspect meat “represents a potential health hazard”, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) warned yesterday.

Consumers should only buy pork from a legitimate food premises and advised food businesses not to accept pork from an unknown supplier, the FSAI said.

Looters had made off with half the consignment by the time the local authority arrived to dispose of the meat.

The 40-foot container packed with pork sides bound for Germany crashed into the front garden of a house a mile outside Milltownpass, Co Westmeath, last Saturday.

The bizarre theft and possible use of the stolenill-gotten pork prompted the FSAI to issue a public health warning about the risks of eating the stolen meat.

“Because this pork had been un-refrigerated for a considerable length of time since the accident, it is likely to have been contaminated, especially with diesel fuel,” said a spokesperson.

Safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board, said foods are stored in a fridge because bacteria and viruses don’t multiply below 6C.

However, even one piece of food left exposed for a couple of hours can contain millions of bacteria.

The meat consignment had travelled from the west of Ireland before the looters struck.

Westmeath County Council vet Seán Ó Laoide explained: “We were contacted by people who saw the looting going on. By the time we got out they had disappeared.

“Essentially, about half the contents of the truck were taken.

“Apparently, there were people there with hacksaws and various types of equipment removing the product. What they’re doing with it we don’t know; there’s a risk it could be cut up into retail packs and sold on to consumers,” said Mr Ó Laoide.

The health mark IRL 540 EC, stamped on the pork sides, may still be visible. But the food safety authority acknowledges this mark may be erased if the meat has been cut up.

FSAI advises anyone holding the meat should ensure it is disposed of safely.