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Irish government knew of horsemeat burger scandal before Christmas

Up to 10 million burgers to be destroyed as fears grow for exports

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Thursday, January 17, 2013, 8:01 AM

Updated Thursday, January 17, 2013, 10:41 AM

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Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney

Photo by Google Images

Coveney added: “There is no evidence so far to show the two Irish processing plants that produced the burgers, Liffey Meats in Cavan and Silvercrest Foods in Monaghan, had knowingly brought in horse meat to use in their burgers.

"We are confident this will not hamper efforts to break into the lucrative Chinese and US markets.

“Most of the meat product that gets exported out of Ireland is chilled fresh meat. This is a frozen burger market.”

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jacersagain | Jan 18, 2013, 05:08 PM EST

LOL @ some of the comments… Townies’ “jobs at Steak”... lurve it! And Scrivner’s post… brill! Angrypaddy’s comment is way off the mark… there’s no B/S in any burger but apparently lots in what he writes! Actually, there is no harm in horse meat or pig meat provided they’re not contaminated. Both are consumed as meats in their own right, horsemeat being leaner (less fat) than beef, a point in its favour and is as commonly eaten in some European countries as beef and pig meats are in Ireland.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 18, 2013, 03:05 AM EST

First we had Mad Cow Disease (Bovine Spongieform Encephalitis BSE)). Then poltry started goin' bananas with Asian flu (Mad Chicken Disease MCD). Now we have a case of Species Identity Disorder (bovines who thought they were equines). It's like a nightmare from George Orwell's Animal Farm. Take my advice, go veggie. At least you won't go thalidomide, even with GM, as far as I know.

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angrypaddy | Jan 18, 2013, 01:11 AM EST

You have been listening to B/S so long now you ere eating it lol

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Towngate | Jan 17, 2013, 08:05 PM EST

In a country awash with clapped-out knackered racehorses and such, its wonderful to think that we had to import some to bulk up our burgers! Ellard was right to be cautious - 100,000 jobs at Steak!!

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seamus60 | Jan 17, 2013, 07:37 PM EST

You only have to look at the collamedy with the "one of your five a day" or even best before. Any way all they have to say is that the beef in each burger is 100% beef. lol

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Scrivner | Jan 17, 2013, 05:50 PM EST

In France they complain about beeef being in their horsemeat. Go figure.

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Paul Hogan | Jan 17, 2013, 04:26 PM EST

I they sure it was not Donkey Meat. Isold Two Donkies to A Fine Gael T.D when I was Home in Cavan Last Year.

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merefalow | Jan 17, 2013, 02:29 PM EST

we havent a clue what goes into our food ,if people could see slaughter houses and methods of food production they would turn veggie.now we gm food put in to and we dont know what how or when or how much,not till we start growing mutated limbs.remember soylent green?

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IrelandNorth | Jan 17, 2013, 02:29 PM EST

Looks to me like burgers were being beefed up with cheaper meat for economic reasons. Trying to discern what you're eating and/or drinking is challenging, in that typpe ingredients are printed in is usually so small, you'f need an electron micoscope to read it. Play it safe and go veggie!

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gobdawpaddy | Jan 17, 2013, 01:26 PM EST

Apparently Minister Coveney wasn't advised about this matter until monday, sharing the information with his cabinet colleagues that afternoon. it may have been prudent for someone at the department of agriculture to give him the 'heads up' about the investigation. Coveney is an intelligent guy, in my opinion one of the smartest at the Irish cabinet table and I hope he is not made a scapegoat over this.

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irishamerica46 | Jan 17, 2013, 12:08 PM EST

Many mixers have meat grinder attachments. Grind your own beef and make your own burgers.Then you'll know what you're eating.

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cabbagehead44 | Jan 17, 2013, 11:15 AM EST

This is similar to the pink slime story that has been going on.

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Canadian | Jan 17, 2013, 11:15 AM EST

An earlier report said that there was 29% horsemeat in a sample of Tesco's burger. It is hard to believe that this huge amount is the "binder" that is used to hold the patty together, which is what this article alludes to. One other thing: There was no safety issue so there was no immediate reaction. However, there was no scientific evidence to say this.

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gobdawpaddy | Jan 17, 2013, 10:47 AM EST

The headline here may be a littlemisleading. While I accept that the Department of Agriculture is a government department, from what I have read of this matter, Coveney was only notified last friday and he informed his cabinet colleagues at their meeting on monday. If this is the correct chronology, whoever delayed informing the minister should suffer the consequences.Of course this is a civil servant in Ireland. The culture there dictates that no-one will face any consequences.

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