Controversial ingredients

It’s a question of traceability as Conor Ryan plots the route taken by the Food Safety Authority which led to it discovering horse and pig DNA in burgers

THE discovery of horse and pig DNA in frozen beef burgers has raised more questions than it has offered answers.

But the facts that have emerged suggest the detection of one particularly problematic sample from a Monaghan meat processor. This result, which showed almost one third of a packet of burgers was made up of horse DNA, raised the loudest alarms.

This is what happened and how it came into the public domain:

*When did the Food Safety Authority of Ireland learn about the content of the frozen burgers?

The FSAI said it received the results of its final round of tests from the laboratory on Friday, Jan 11. This showed up the quantity of the suspect ingredients and the level of pork and horse DNA.

*When did Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney learn about the issue?

His spokesperson said he was told about the test results on Monday January 14. The Department responded by sending its inspectors into the Monaghan plant on Tuesday. Taoiseach Enda Kenny asked Mr Coveney to update Cabinet on the issues on Tuesday.

*On what were the results based?

The FSAI bought 27 frozen burger products in early November at shops close to its head office in Dublin. These formed the basis of its original round of testing. There was no random sampling with several products from each source. Instead, the single product bought by the FSAI from each brand was the subject of the initial set of lab examinations.

*What did the first round of testing show?

The first test revealed traces of horse and pig DNA. This was available to the FSAI by Nov 30. However, it said it could not rely on this data alone, as the samples may have been contaminated in its own lab.

To verify the results, the FSAI employed the services of two independent labs, also in Ireland. Another test was sent to Germany to be verified. These delivered the same results as the Irish lab.

*What did the second round of testing involve?

Given the potential seriousness of the first set of results, the FSAI sought to buy new frozen burger product by matching, as closely as it could, burgers with the original samples.

These were sent to another lab. The tests confirmed traces of stray DNA.

At this stage, the FSAI sought assistance from the Department’s veterinary team. The Department said co-operating with the FSAI would not be unusual as it has a service-level agreement to carry out tasks on its behalf and works closely with the agency.

When this result was available, the FSAI cut up the original batch and sent it for testing to determine the volume of stray DNA. These results were not available until last Friday evening.

*Was a B Sample taken from the second batch of bought burgers to see if the horse content was also high?

No. The second batch of burgers were only tested for the presence of DNA, and revealed trace amounts of horse. They were not tested to see how much of that DNA was in the burger. Therefore, they could not be used to corroborate the first, surprise result from the Silvercrest plant in Monaghan.

*Was the Silvercrest plant, which showed up the highest content of horse meat, tested separately?

The Department said Silvercrest was the subject to a routine audit in December and this did not highlight any issues of concern. This was part of a standard checking procedure and was not linked to the FSAI round of testing.

The plant did not DNA test the nature of the product it was importing from the Netherlands and Spain. It was not required to.

*Is meat regularly checked for undeclared animal content?

The DNA test, which revealed the presence of pork and equine traces, is relatively new and has not been available to the FSAI in previous years.

Plants are not required to tests for this. This has been highlighted as a shortcoming in regulation by the meat industry. It means while farmers must account for the beef that gets as far as the factory, producers are not obliged to audit the additives sourced from other suppliers.

*How much horse meat was involved?

Although one third of the frozen burgers tested showed up traces of horse DNA, only one had a high level.

This was discovered in a burger taken from the Silvercrest plant in Ballybay, Monaghan.

The horse content in that meat portion of the burger was 29%.

*How much pigmeat was involved?

Although there were traces of pig DNA in most of the burgers tested (85%), the content was very low and the FSAI has said it may be due to the fact that pork was also produced at the same plants.

In one case, 15% of the burger was pig meat, but the company involved has showed the FSAI that this was reflected on its packaging.

*Can slaughtered horses be traced?

Across Europe, there are traceability regulations in place for establishing the origins of horse meat.

The regime is not as stringent as the regulations that govern cattle suppliers.

Each horse must have a passport and this must be available when it is presented for slaughter.

It is the responsibility of the operator to check the markings on the horse against those on the passport.

By comparison, cattle must have a passport, come from a farm with a bovine register, and have its details and movements stored on the animal database.

Its ear tags are scanned for these details before each animal is slaughtered.

*If the products did not pose a health risk, why have retailers pulled the affected burgers from the shelves?

The FSAI said the decision was one of quality rather than a public health alert.

It said horses are consumed in other countries and do not present a danger.

However, the shops fear the testing results question the quality of the product, particularly if they are unable to fully trace the contents of the burgers.

*Are other products affected?

So far, the testing was concentrated on frozen burgers and pre-prepared meals.

The FSAI has yet to decide if it will test meat going to fast-food chains or product that is sold in different forms.

It said the outcome of its current investigation may highlight a need for further tests.

Secretive of his success

Larry Goodman, executive chairman of ABP, which owns Silvercrest Foots, is one of the most secretive, controversial, and successful businessmen in Ireland.

Despite his intriguing role in Irish public life, he has kept a low profile for the past 18 years.

Having bought his first factory in 1966, the Louth man he carved out a dominant position in the beef sector.

In 1987, he began a period of frantic expansion. His meat business was the biggest in Europe when his company embarked on even greater avenues for growth.

This included a planned £1bn buyout of British Sugar and heavy investment in Iraq.

Initially, this was underpinned by a export credit insurance which was put in place by taoiseach Charlie Haughey and protected the trade against default. This was withdrawn.

The latter strategy came unstuck with the onset of the first Gulf War and UN trade sanctions.

What was not clear at the time was that Mr Goodman’s activities in the late 1980s were funded by IR£520m of debt drawn from 33 banks.

When the Gulf War spooked his lenders, his empire collapsed. But the banks opted not to put him into liquidation and instead let him into examinership. He remained as managing director with an equity stake.

This allowed him to restructure his organisation, sell off property, and lead a buy-back of his group within five years.

Following his company’s troubles, a World in Action television investigation alleged that the Goodman operation had evaded tax, engaged in serious irregularities in meat production, and had enjoyed political favouritism.

The Beef Tribunal found that the group had been engaged in widespread tax evasion and had misappropriated intervention beef.

The company’s sins underpinned an IR£70m fine levied on Ireland from Europe. But the firm itself escaped maximum penalties for its tax evasion because of the 1993 amnesty.

The skeleton of his former empire, which he took back from the banks in 1995, was first controlled by a consortium, of which he owned 45%.

But, by the turn of the century, he had bought out this group and again had complete control over the lucrative supply of beef to the British and European markets.

In addition to his meat interests, Mr Goodman is also a major land holder and, at the height of the boom, was earning €6m a year in rents from State agencies.

Late last year, he made one of the biggest trades of the year when he beat off competition to acquire the headquarters of Bank of Ireland on Baggot Street for €43m.

— Conor Ryan