Coveney: DNA meat tests will be ‘routine’

Coveney: DNA meat tests will be routine

Monday, February 18, 2013

By Lyndsey Telford

DNA testing of meat will become a routine part of food testing nationwide, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has said.

The company said it had isolated the contaminated meat and informed the Department of Agriculture.

QK Cold Stores can confirm that, as part of its own quality controls, the company conducted DNA testing on consignments of imported beef product which revealed the presence of equine DNA, it said in a statement.

Upon discovery, these consignments were immediately isolated and either returned to the suppliers concerned or detained at QK Cold Stores facility.

The Department of Agriculture and Food Safety Authority of Ireland agreed a national protocol for DNA testing of meat would be applied at retail, catering, and processing level.

We intend to introduce DNA testing from now on as part of routine food testing across the country, said Mr Coveney.

Earlier, one of the countrys largest catering companies revealed it discovered horsemeat in burgers it supplied to a number of sites both north and south of the border.

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Coveney: DNA meat tests will be ‘routine’