Rangeland burgers had 30% horse content
The company confirmed yesterday it has withdrawn burger products after latest test results revealed they contained between 5% and 30% of horsemeat.
Rangeland said it sourced the contaminated meat in Poland. Earlier this month, Rangeland was found to have a second separate consignment of meat sourced in Poland which tested positive for horse. The DNA sampling showed it was 75% equine but that none of it had entered the food chain.
Food safety and agriculture chiefs have given Rangeland the all-clear to resume production on condition it only uses Irish-sourced beef.
The company said the burgers dated back to production in September.
“Rangeland Foods has since taken the decision to withdraw all of their hitherto untested produce made from meat of Polish origin from the food chain, and that process is under way.”
According to tests on samples of batches made at the Castleblayney factory and supplied to the British wholesale and catering trade, some burgers were found to have between 5% and 30% equine DNA.
The company said a small number of cases had tested positive and that the 9,200 withdrawn 4oz Rangeburgers were made to a specification for EU beef from EU-approved suppliers.
Rangeland said it had supplied two British food service providers.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said the burgers have also been sold to the catering and wholesale sectors in Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. It confirmed that the meat processor had notified companies it trades with and a withdrawal was taking place.
“As is the protocol in food withdrawals, if these suppliers have subsequently traded these products onwards to other food businesses, they are compelled to notify them to ensure that a swift withdrawal is undertaken across the market,” the FSAI said in a statement.
The authority has issued a food alert and will notify the European Commission. It said it will continue to work with Rangeland to ensure all implicated product is removed from the market.
Supermac’s managing director Pat McDonagh said its burgers were not affected by the withdrawal as all of its meat was 100% Irish and fully traceable.
Meanwhile, the British Food Standards agency has confirmed that eight horse carcasses have tested positive for traces of the horse painkiller phenylbutazone or “bute”, following tests on more than 200 horses.
Six of the carcasses had gone to France and may have entered the food chain there, while the other two did not leave the slaughterhouse and were disposed of in accordance with EU rules.
Bute is an extremely strong anti-inflammatory drug for horses and can pose a health risk if consumed by humans.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) said moves by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and his European colleagues to root out the sources of the equine scandal must be at EU level and effective to rebuild trust with consumers.
IFA president John Bryan said it would also have to include tighter regulation.
“The retail sector, including food service operators and restaurants, must implement clear labelling and ensure consumers have full traceability on all meat.”
