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NI Assembly and Irish government briefed on horse meat controversy Police on both sides of Irish border in horse meat probe
(35 minutes later)
The NI Food Standards Agency is investigating how horsemeat ended up at a cold store in Newry, County Down. A County Down company at the centre of the horse meat controversy has denied owning the contaminated assignment.
It was among a consignment at Freeza Meats. It follows the discovery of horse DNA at a plant in the Irish Republic. Freeza Meats of Newry said it had been asked by an Irish company to store the meat after they had declined to buy it.
The assembly's agriculture committee will receive an emergency briefing by Department of Agriculture and Rural Development officials later. Tests found that samples from the consignment contained about 80% horse meat. It follows the discovery of horse DNA at a plant in the Irish Republic.
Meanwhile, police on both sides of the Irish border have been asked to investigate.
Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has called for the police to investigate the latest revelations about the meat processing industry.
Mr McGuinness said the country's good image abroad for producing top class meat was being damaged and that was unacceptable.
Irish police have also launched an investigation into the recent discovery of horse meat at a beef processing factory in the Republic.
'Fraudulent'
The assembly's agriculture committee will receive an emergency briefing by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development officials later.
The Irish government will also be briefed on the latest developments.The Irish government will also be briefed on the latest developments.
The FSA said that 12 samples from the Newry cold store had been tested and two came back positive for horse meat, at about 80%.
Gerry McCurdy of the FSA said there was "definitely now the potential" of fraudulent activity.Gerry McCurdy of the FSA said there was "definitely now the potential" of fraudulent activity.
Meanwhile, police in the Irish Republic have been asked to investigate after horsemeat was found in beef products at a third factory. Police in the Irish Republic were asked to investigate after horsemeat was found in beef products at a third factory.
Ministers requested police assistance after equine DNA was found at Rangeland Foods, in County Monaghan.Ministers requested police assistance after equine DNA was found at Rangeland Foods, in County Monaghan.
The firm stopped production after tests found 75% horse DNA in an ingredient imported from Poland.The firm stopped production after tests found 75% horse DNA in an ingredient imported from Poland.
The company said the consignment had not gone into production.The company said the consignment had not gone into production.
Mr McCurdy, of the FSA in Northern Ireland, said the possibility of fraud needed to be investigated.Mr McCurdy, of the FSA in Northern Ireland, said the possibility of fraud needed to be investigated.
'Safety risk'
"That is why the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the minister, the Garda are involved," he said."That is why the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the minister, the Garda are involved," he said.
"We will be working very closely with those authorities to try and establish the facts of this case and to determine whether or not this is accidental, in terms of someone has packaged and mislabelled, or whether or not there is deliberate fraudulent activity.""We will be working very closely with those authorities to try and establish the facts of this case and to determine whether or not this is accidental, in terms of someone has packaged and mislabelled, or whether or not there is deliberate fraudulent activity."
He added: "At this point in time we have no indication of food safety risk, but this is an issue about food safety confidence."He added: "At this point in time we have no indication of food safety risk, but this is an issue about food safety confidence."
Paul Frew, the chair of the assembly's agriculture committee, said he was shocked that the horsemeat had been found. Paul Frew, the chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly's agriculture committee, said he was shocked that the horsemeat had been found.
"This could well be the legacy that our supermarkets have left us, whereby, basically the old adage comes in where you get what you pay for," he said."This could well be the legacy that our supermarkets have left us, whereby, basically the old adage comes in where you get what you pay for," he said.
"If they are determined to push down prices that our producers have to get, or expect to get, then should we really expect any different from cold stores and processors bringing in imported meat cheaper in order to make ends meet?""If they are determined to push down prices that our producers have to get, or expect to get, then should we really expect any different from cold stores and processors bringing in imported meat cheaper in order to make ends meet?"
In a statement, Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said he had asked the police to join the investigation by his department's special investigations unit into how the horsemeat had got into beef products at the factories.In a statement, Irish Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said he had asked the police to join the investigation by his department's special investigations unit into how the horsemeat had got into beef products at the factories.
Speaking of Rangeland Foods, he said: "The company has indicated that none of this product has entered the food chain.Speaking of Rangeland Foods, he said: "The company has indicated that none of this product has entered the food chain.
"The department has had inspectors in the plant since last Friday. The investigation is focusing on the full supply chain, including the meat trader concerned and others who facilitated the purchase of the product and its transfer to users in Ireland.""The department has had inspectors in the plant since last Friday. The investigation is focusing on the full supply chain, including the meat trader concerned and others who facilitated the purchase of the product and its transfer to users in Ireland."
Cold store
Rangeland Foods said the test results on the meat, which it had taken delivery of in early January, were immediately reported to the Department of Agriculture.Rangeland Foods said the test results on the meat, which it had taken delivery of in early January, were immediately reported to the Department of Agriculture.
The company said that 90% of the beef it uses is of Irish origin.The company said that 90% of the beef it uses is of Irish origin.
The company, which was established in 1982, has more than 80 employees.
In Northern Ireland, the FSA tested frozen meat detained at the cold store in County Down.
The investigation into the traceability of these raw materials and their source is under way. As this meat was detained, it has not entered the food chain.
Last month Irish food inspectors found horse DNA in some beefburgers being sold in UK and Irish supermarkets.
The meat came from two processing plants in Ireland, Liffey Meats in County Cavan, and Silvercrest Foods in County Monaghan, and the Dalepak Hambleton plant in Yorkshire.
Halal
The burgers had been on sale in Tesco and Iceland in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, where they were also on sale in Dunnes Stores, Lidl and Aldi.
Food safety officials said there was no risk to human health and the burgers had been removed.
Since then Tesco, Aldi, the Co-Op and Burger King have dropped Silvercrest as a supplier.
On Sunday, it emerged that a food producer in Northern Ireland had supplied halal food containing traces of pork DNA to prisons.
McColgan's Quality Foods Limited was the source of "the very small number of halal savoury beef pastry products", said food distributor 3663.
The County Tyrone company said it was co-operating with the Food Standards Agency.