Chemical waste close to entering domestic food chain

PHARMACEUTICAL waste which was exported to Belgium was nearly reintroduced into the Irish food chain.

Traces of MPA, chemical waste left over from the production of hormone replacement treatment tablets, were detected in a Dutch shipment of molasses two weeks ago. Molasses is used in animal feed.

It has emerged that the 10,000-tonne shipment of condensed molasses solubles (CMS) was contaminated by waste which originated at the Kildare pharmaceutical facility of Wyeth Medica Ireland.

Two weeks ago, waste from the same facility was traced by authorities to 11 countries, causing a widespread food scare. More than 2,000 farms and businesses were forced to close in Germany, one of the worst countries hit. This latest shipment was imported from Holland to Foynes by Irish firm, Premier Molasses which is half-owned by Greencore.

The Dutch firm which sent the shipment to Ireland, Schuurmans Van Ginneken, confirmed it had been contaminated in a storage container. The container previously held contaminated glucose originating from bankrupt Belgian firm Bioland.

Bioland had received the waste from Dublin firm Cara Environmental Technology who were contracted by Wyeth to dispose of it. “It was a long chain. From Bioland it came to one Dutch feed trader than to another feed trader and then to us,” explained Schuursmans Vanginneken’s director, Otto Langelaar, speaking from Amsterdam.

“The truth of this is that it came very close to entering the food chain. We were very lucky. Had that got in we would have had all sorts of trouble,” said Val Foley managing director of Premier Molasses which asked for tests on the shipment before accepting it. Last night, the Department of Agriculture confirmed its Feedstuffs Division had been informed of events by the companies involved and that the shipment had been returned safely to Holland. Both Cara and Wyeth said yesterday they were co-operating with the investigations into the Europe-wide MPA contamination and had no further statement to add.

However, Pat O’Keeffe, chairman of the IFA’s pig meat committee said that, if the shipment had been used in animal feed, it would have been devastating for the industry.