Statement issued on behalf of Supermac’s founder and managing director Pat McDonagh
We are delighted that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have brought this to the fore. We welcome their rigorous testing and the fact that they are undertaking such an in-depth investigation into this matter.
All beef in Supermac’s burgers is 100 per cent Irish, fully traceable back to the farm and DNA tested to prove that it is 100 per cent Irish beef. The product in question is an imported product and bears no relevance to Supermac’s meat products which are 100 per cent Irish.
We have been assured by our supplier that the beef that has been and is used in Supermac’s burgers is 100 per cent Irish.
Following the beef issue breaking two weeks ago we immediately sought assurances from our supplier and we were guaranteed that our beef was and is 100 per cent Irish beef. This was confirmed both verbally and in writing. Written tests to verify this were also provided by our supplier. We have already tested the product ourselves and have been reassured that it is 100 per cent Irish beef and we will continue to conduct rigorous independent testing.
As a member of the Irish Farmers’ Association I’m acutely aware of the value and importance of high-quality meat products which is realised in all Supermac’s operations.
Reacting to the test results, IFA president John Bryan has said this is further evidence that only Irish raw material must be used in the manufacture of Irish beef burgers.
Supermac’s business has been built on quality Irish food for the last 35 years and our customers have come to rely on us for this. We would like to reassure all of our customers of our continued commitment to quality Irish food products.