The Ulster Farmers’ Union says it is very concerned by the findings of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland which have indicated the presence of horse DNA in some beef burger products.
UFU President Harry Sinclair said, “We are very concerned by recent developments. Our farming industry strives to produce the highest standard of fresh quality assured beef for consumers, which is fully traceable. We are not in a position to comment on the specifics of this particular case as investigations are ongoing but we will be working closely with the Food Standards Agency. However we are thankful that it is not a public health issue and does not pose any food safety risk to consumers.
“This situation really highlights the importance of supporting local farm quality assured beef with the traceability and quality that consumers expect. However it does raise serious questions about the pressure Tesco and other large retailers place on their suppliers to deliver in terms of price rather than other important factors such as quality and traceability which could lead to this type of thing happening."