Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Senator will be aware, my Department published a comprehensive report in March 2013 on the detailed investigation into the adulteration of beef products with equine DNA. That investigation was carried out by the Department's veterinary inspectors, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI, and the Garda National Bureau of Fraud Investigation. It was initiated as a result of initial findings from a food authenticity survey by the FSAI. The matter was brought to the attention of the EU authorities and information arising from the investigation was shared with the authorities in a number of other member states. The report was clear and unambiguous. The Irish authorities highlighted unacceptable practices along the supply chain, including the presence of horse DNA in meat which was labelled as being of Polish origin. This problem involved long and complex supply chains and was international in nature.

In the context of the references to meat from Silvercrest Foods made in the subsequent report compiled by the Polish chief veterinary officer, it should be understood that this material was detained and removed from the food chain once positive DNA samples were received on 25 and 28 January 2013, almost three weeks before the Polish inspectors arrived in Silvercrest on 13 February 2013. During their visit, the Polish inspectors were accompanied by departmental officials and representatives from both Silvercrest and Food Services Poland. The pallets in question, which contained frozen blocks of meat pieces, had already been removed from storage, manipulated and sampled by the Irish authorities on more than one occasion. Such manipulation involved the removal of wrapping and labels, the partial disassembly of pallets and some drilling and sampling of the frozen blocks of meat. This would have lead to deterioration in the quality and appearance of the meat. Once the meat had been detained, there was never a question of it entering the food chain and, therefore, there was no requirement to store it in conditions or to a standard required of food grade material. Seven of these pallets remain under official detention and one has been destroyed.

My Department, the HSE and the FSAI have jurisdiction in relation to labelling and mislabelling issues in Ireland. Rules on the labelling of meat and meat products are laid down in EU legislation. For beef, the current rules require compulsory origin labelling, with place of birth, rearing and slaughter specified. In the context of the European Union Single Market, trade between member states in beef is, of course, permitted but mandatory country-of-origin labelling rules apply. In this regard audits of imported products are carried out in meat plants approved by my Department.

Such audits include physical identity, labelling and documentary checks and cover products originating both in EU member states and third countries. In addition, labelling and documentary checks form part of the routine checks conducted by officials from my Department.

Checks are also conducted by the local district veterinary offices in smaller meat plants and by the HSE at retail level, working under the aegis of the FSAI which has an overarching supervisory role in relation to labelling matters.

The conclusion of the Polish report indicates that there is a doubt about the participation of Polish companies in potential adulteration of beef with horse meat and that there is no concrete evidence that beef was replaced with horse meat in Polish plants. It does not indicate where mislabelling may have occurred.

My Department is not in a position to comment on the findings of the Polish investigation relating to the origin of the labels on meat labelled as having been supplied from Poland. If mislabelling occurred en route to Ireland, then that is a matter for the Polish authorities or the authorities in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions where it occurred in the first instance. When allegations are made in respect of the placing of meat which is mislabelled in the Irish market, my Department investigates the matter thoroughly and takes the appropriate action.