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Irish pork: Northern Ireland pork gets the all-clear but question mark now hangs over beef after cattle ate dioxin meal

By Linda McKee
Tuesday, 9 December 2008

Ham and cocktail sausages are back on the Christmas menu after Northern Ireland pork received the all-clear — but questions were being asked today about the safety of beef.

As pig processors swung back into action today following a nervous couple of days in which Northern Ireland’s pig industry had ground to a standstill, there were new fears after it emerged eight cattle herds had been fed the contaminated feed at the centre of the storm.

Retailers and processors will still have to dump their stocks of pork but will be able to start replacing them with fresh meat slaughtered in the wake of the crisis.

The Food Standards Agency revealed that no pigs in Northern Ireland had consumed feeds contaminated with dioxins.

However, eight farms here have been placed under restriction after it was discovered that they had received feed from the plant in question and fed it to beef cattle.

FSA deputy director in Northern Ireland Maria Jennings said: “We know that eight herds in Northern Ireland have been fed the contaminated feed.

“All of those herds have been placed under restriction, which means that none of the meat from those herds will go into the food chain.”

She stressed: “The beef that is on sale in Northern Ireland is entirely safe, there is no problem with that meat on sale on the supermarket shelves.”

Meanwhile, stocks of pork will have to be disposed of as 11 Northern Ireland premises processed pork from the Republic and the meat was put on sale here. Retailers and consumers have been advised that any pork products bought since September 1 should not be eaten but the FSA said it hoped to see pork sales here resume in a day or two.

Vincent Grant of processors William & Co Ltd said: “The FSA informed us all Northern Ireland pig farms are clear of contamination and we’re hoping to be back in operation some time today. We were informed that all our pig sources are free from contamination.”

Cullybackey processors Stevenson & Co Ltd welcomed the green light but said the company would be losing tens of thousands of pounds of stock.

Managing director Hugh Hamill said: “We’re hoping to get into operation moving. We’re planning to slaughter some pigs today — that is in the process now.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Northern Irish pork. No pigs have been fed this particular feedstuff — our pork is 100% clear.”

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Do the Food Standards Agency carry out the same rigorous checks on the imports of say, Asian chickens and South American meat as they do on locally produced items? If they do I'm surprised any foodstuff gets in, for I doubt if foreign methods of production and checking are on a power with ours.

Posted by T J McClean | 09.12.08, 12:50 GMT