FSA knew of meat trader last October

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has confirmed it was acting on concerns about the meat trader at the centre of the horse DNA scandal as early as October.

However, it said it could not reveal what this action involved because of the ongoing investigation by Department of Agriculture, assisted by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The FSAI was told about the detainment of meat, stored in Newry, after it was first locked up in September. It was also told the meat, which had been fraudulently labelled, had been stored by a trader based in Monaghan and was destined for production in the Republic.