Garda probe as ‘beef’ is 75% horse

The Garda Fraud Squad has been called in to investigate the deepening horsemeat scandal after beef product at a Monaghan processing plant was found to contain 75% equine DNA.

The Department of Agriculture’s special investigation unit is also joining the inquiry into how horsemeat labelled as Polish beef filler is being sold to Irish beef burger factories.

Production was temporarily suspended at Rangeland Food’s Castleblayney plant yesterday, but, according to the company, none of the contaminated batch of meat filler had gone into production. The meat filler was imported through a meat trader based in Ireland and arrived in Co Monaghan in recent weeks.

Last night, one of the country’s biggest fast-food chains, Supermac’s, confirmed its burgers come from Rangeland.

However, its managing director, Pat McDonagh, said its burgers did not contain Polish filler: “The product in question is an imported product. We have been assured by our supplier that the beef that has been and is used in Supermac’s burgers is 100% Irish.”

It’s understood the contaminated ingredient was to be used in burgers destined for the catering industry outside Ireland.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney last night said: “The department has had inspectors in the plant since last Friday.

“The investigation is focusing on the full supply chain, including the meat trader concerned and others who facilitated the purchase of the product and its transfer to users in Ireland.”

Ireland’s international reputation suffered when it emerged last month that burgers containing 29% horsemeat were for sale in Tesco in Ireland and the UK having been processed by Silvercrest Foods. Smaller levels of equine DNA were found in burgers at Aldi, Lidl, Dunnes and Iceland.

Production was suspended at Silvercrest, which is owned by Larry Goodman’s ABP group. High-profile firms including Burger King, Tesco, Aldi and Co-op supermarkets cancelled or suspended contracts with Silvercrest.

A Rangeland Food spokesman said initial tests were carried out at the plant last month by an accredited German laboratory hired by Rangeland.

The results came back last Thursday and were sent immediately to the Department of Agriculture. The following day, department officials conducted their own tests which yesterday confirmed the 75% content.

The department has been conducting inquiries to establish whether Polish-labelled product has been used in other Irish plants.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association president Gabriel Gilmartin described the development as “deeply worrying”.

“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,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Food Standards Agency has said it tested a quantity of frozen meat in a cold store at Freeza Meats in the North, which “is potentially linked to the Silvercrest factory in Monaghan”.

A statement on the agency’s website said of the 12 samples that have been tested, two have come back positive for horsemeat at about 80%.