Freeza Meats becomes fifth supplier named in horsemeat scandal as food standards watchdogs battle to contain crisis
Investigators are
examining the supply chain to Freeza Meats for a possible link to the
Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan, Ireland. Photograph: Philip
Fitzpatrick/PA
Frozen meat in a cold store in Northern Ireland has tested for
"exceptionally high" levels of horse DNA, as food standards watchdogs
and fraud investigators in the UK and Ireland battle to contain the tainted burger crisis.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking to unravel the chain of suppliers to Freeza Meats, which has a production plant and cold store in Newry, County Down.
Investigators are examining a possible link to the Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan, Ireland, and, like Irish authorities, are making inquiries in Poland, where government veterinary inspectors say they have so far been unable to establish evidence of a link to suppliers from that country. Ireland said 10 days ago it was confident Poland was the source of the problem.
The meat held at Freeza Meats had already been found to have "irregularities around the documentation and the labelling" when checked by environmental health officers at the end of last year, before the Food Safety Authority of Ireland first made public its concerns over burgers adulterated by equine and porcine DNA in the middle of January.
Freeza Meats is the fifth plant to be named in the scandal, following three in Ireland and one in north Yorkshire, and its involvement was revealed hours after Rangeland Foods over the border was implicated by Irish authorities. Its website says it specialises in wholesale distribution and also supplies "all conceivable types" of cafes, restaurants, hotels and leisure outlets as well as retailers across Europe.
Some samples tested positive for horse DNA at levels of 60% to 100%, Gerry McCurdy, the FSA's director in Northern Ireland, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said parts of the consignment had been "properly labelled as being from Poland" but added "some of the labels were not genuine and some of the product had no labels". Since the meat had already been detained, it had not gone on sale.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking to unravel the chain of suppliers to Freeza Meats, which has a production plant and cold store in Newry, County Down.
Investigators are examining a possible link to the Silvercrest plant in Co Monaghan, Ireland, and, like Irish authorities, are making inquiries in Poland, where government veterinary inspectors say they have so far been unable to establish evidence of a link to suppliers from that country. Ireland said 10 days ago it was confident Poland was the source of the problem.
The meat held at Freeza Meats had already been found to have "irregularities around the documentation and the labelling" when checked by environmental health officers at the end of last year, before the Food Safety Authority of Ireland first made public its concerns over burgers adulterated by equine and porcine DNA in the middle of January.
Freeza Meats is the fifth plant to be named in the scandal, following three in Ireland and one in north Yorkshire, and its involvement was revealed hours after Rangeland Foods over the border was implicated by Irish authorities. Its website says it specialises in wholesale distribution and also supplies "all conceivable types" of cafes, restaurants, hotels and leisure outlets as well as retailers across Europe.
Some samples tested positive for horse DNA at levels of 60% to 100%, Gerry McCurdy, the FSA's director in Northern Ireland, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said parts of the consignment had been "properly labelled as being from Poland" but added "some of the labels were not genuine and some of the product had no labels". Since the meat had already been detained, it had not gone on sale.
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