26th January, 2013

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Asssociation president Gabriel Gilmartin has said that farmers have been let down by industry.  “There are now serious questions to be asked about why Polish ingredients were going into Irish beef burgers even though Ireland is the largest exporter of beef in the Northern hemisphere.”
 
“ICSA welcomes the new stringent terms that will apply but Irish farmers will feel very let down by what has happened.  The Department must learn the lesson that there has been too much focus on farms and not enough on  meat processors.”   
 
Mr Gilmartin concluded by saying:  “It is positive that burgers destined for Burger King have come through without any equine DNA.”