Consumers are being "codded" through false labelling of beef, the president of the Irish Farmers Association, Mr John Dillon, claimed yesterday. Seán MacConnell, Agriculture Correspondent, reports.
He was launching the results of an IFA-conducted DNA survey into the origin of beef for sale which found that 15 of 53 samples taken from various outlets were found to be beef of a non-European origin.
While three of the 15 outlets were openly selling Brazilian beef, in 12 of the cases, the beef was being sold as "Irish".
Half of the outlets which sold the beef to IFA investigators were hotels, there was one supermarket, three butchers' shops and the remainder were meat wholesalers.
On labelling, he said, four of the samples which were tested by IdentiGEN Laboratories at Trinity College Dublin were incorrectly labelled as "Irish" and another sample was taken from a hotel which described its beef as "Irish" on its menu.
Mr Dillon said this was a scandalous situation. The Irish consumer was being denied what he or she was seeking and they were also being charged Irish prices.
At a press conference at the National Ploughing Championships in Ballinabrackey, Co Meath, Mr Dillon said the results were alarming and pointed to a breakdown of proper traceability after animals leave the farm.
"We contend that consumers are being cheated and the image of Irish beef is being tarnished," said the IFA president.
The sampling, which was carried out by an IFA official, was "on a targeted basis" on premises where the organisation suspected Brazilian beef was being sold as Irish.
The sampling took place between August 5th and September 4th, and 53 samples of beef were purchased from 12 supermarkets, 16 hotels, four fast- food outlets/restaurants, eight butchers and 13 meat wholesalers.
The outlets were located in counties Monaghan, Limerick, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick, Wicklow, Dublin and Laois.
The samples were submitted to IdentiGEN Laboratories, a Trinity College Dublin-based company for DNA analysis.
Fifteen of the samples tested positive with one or more Zebu specific alleles detected, indicating the meat came from an animal of non-European origin. The other 38 samples were negative.
Mr Dillon said the finding of the IFA analysis was causing grave concern to Irish farmers considering the continuing growth of Brazilian and other South American beef imports.
The latest CSO statistics showed that Ireland imported just over 5,000 tonnes of beef from Brazil last year, and overall, 17,587 tonnes were imported during the year.
About 50,000 tonnes of beef are consumed in Ireland annually and we export 450,000 tonnes to the rest of the world.