The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published the findings of a study into the authenticity of beef and lamb products, which has found no trace of horse DNA in 52 beef products analysed. The products included burgers, meat-based meals, corned beef, meat balls and pasta dishes.
The FSAI said that the findings demonstrate "compliance by the industry" in eradicating the use of horse meat in beef products.
However, an examination of lamb kebabs and lamb dishes in takeaway restaurants, also carried out by the FSAI, raised concerns about the presence of undeclared meat, such as chicken and beef. As the study found, meats other than lamb were found in seven of the twenty foods sampled from independent takeaway restaurants in Dublin.
The FSAI tested for the presence of DNA from bovine, pig, sheep, goat, horse, chicken and turkey in ten kebabs and ten lamb dishes. Horse, goat, pig or turkey DNA was not found in any sample, it said.
“When you order a lamb kebab you expect to get a lamb kebab and not a beef and chicken kebab," Prof Alan Reilly, Chief Executive, FSAI said. "Incorrectly listing meat products on a menu or menu board, whether inadvertently or by design, is an unacceptable infringement of the labelling legislation."
He added that "last year’s incident surrounding the adulteration of beef demonstrates how vital consumer trust and confidence is for food businesses and for Ireland’s wider food industry."
