Coveney - full statement to Oireachtas on 'horse meat' saga

Coveney: I am pleased to report to the Committee on the intensive investigation undertaken by my Department and the FSAI into the source of equine DNA disclosed in certain beef burgers. I am joined by officials of my Department, Assistant Secretaries Philip Carroll and Martin Heraghty, Chief Veterinary Officer, Martin Blake, Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Paula Barry Walsh and Senior Superintending Veterinary Inspector, David Lynch. I do not need to remind this Committee of the importance to our economy, in terms of exports and jobs, of the agri-food industry. This industry is based on the maintenance of the highest standards of food safety and quality. Our food safety, traceability and quality control systems must be beyond reproach to allow us provide the type of assurances necessary to gain and maintain the edge in consumer markets worldwide. The particular food incident we are discussing today was uncovered as a result of the operation of our multi-layer control systems, with the FSAI and my Department operating coherently under service contract and the use by the FSAI of advanced testing methods which are not yet routinely used in other jurisdictions. Before I spell out the sequence of events I should outline briefly the control regime that operates at meat plants. Firstly, I should make clear that under EU law primary responsibility for the safety of food placed on the market place lies with food business operators. The role of my Department is to verify compliance by the food business operators with this requirement. This is done by a combination of inspection of establishments and by audit on the food safety management systems which operators are required to have in place. These controls are applied at different stages in the food supply chain. It is important to point out that the key controls carried out by my Department, under its contract with the FSAI, relate to food safety. The matters that were the subject of this investigation did not give rise to food safety concerns. My Department has a permanent veterinary presence at all its export approved slaughtering plants. Controls at stand alone secondary processing plants are carried out at a frequency which is based on risk assessment. This risk assessment is conducted each year of every Department approved meat plant. This determines the frequency of inspections for the individual plant. In addition a multi-annual national control plan (MANCP) is drawn up, as required under EU legislation. This sets down a minimum overall number of inspections to be carried out in meat plants. The Department has consistently exceeded this target. For example, in 2011 the target was 3,055 inspections, while the actual number of inspections conducted was 7,189. Both the Silvercrest and Rangeland Foods plants were, subject to monthly inspection by my Department. In addition, under the Department's National Residue Programme, up to 30,000 samples taken at farm and factory level and covering a wide range of food stuffs are tested annually. These tests relate to microbiological and chemical standards, their primary focus being on food safety. These are fully in accordance with EU testing requirements. Traceability EU law provides for the free movement of goods between Member States. On that basis, meat and meat products produced in an establishment which is approved under the relevant EU regulation can be moved freely within the EU. As is the case with compliance with EU food safety regulations, compliance with traceability requirements, rests in the first instance with food business operators. Food business operators in Ireland are responsible for carrying out checks to ensure that their ingredients come from EU approved plants. They must also have a system in place to identify the source of inputs and destination of outputs (referred to as one "step forward and one step back"). In primary processing meat plants that operate under the supervision of my Department, my officials conduct audits on the checks carried out by the Food Business Operators to verify their effectiveness. An annual audit of meat products is carried out in each Department approved meat plant. The audit includes physical identity, labelling and documentary checks. This includes product originating both in EU Member States and third countries. In addition, labelling and documentary checks form part of the routine checks conducted by Department officials. FSAI survey DNA testing is not required under EU legislation and is not generally in use in relation to food production. It has however been deployed in recent times as part of the FSAI's checks on food authenticity and food fraud control programmes. In that respect it is another new layer to our food production controls. The findings of laboratory tests, provided by the FSAI to my Department on 14th January 2013, revealed the presence of equine and porcine DNA in some beef products produced in Ireland. This generally involved trace or minute amounts of porcine or equine DNA with the exception of one burger in respect of which a high level of equine DNA (29%) was indicated. This finding of 29% first became available to the FSAI on 11 January and there was no basis for any action prior to that date. While my Department was requested on 21 December by the FSAI to obtain samples of raw ingredients in the context of preliminary results indicating trace non-bovine DNA it was not required to take any other action at that stage. As the FSAI pointed out in its statement of 19 January, where very low levels are detected this is indicative of inadvertent rather than deliberate presence and as such would not be declared on the product label. It is also of course standard practice that preliminary results are subject to a process of confirmatory testing. The FSAI provided my Department with the laboratory results including the 29% finding for the first time on 14th January 2013. It is also the case, and it is worth repeating, that the FSAI has given clear assurances that no food safety issues arise in this instance. However the incident gave rise to very significant issues in respect of confidence in the quality and description of the products concerned. While the responsibility to investigate and address this incident clearly lies on the Company, in view of the broader risk to the reputation of Irish food production, an official investigation was immediately instigated by my Department in conjunction with the FSAI on receipt of these results. Joint investigation The objective of the intensive official investigation was to find the root cause of the problem and to identify the source of the equine DNA. Let me outline briefly the sequence of the investigation. 15 to 17th January My Department visited the Silver Crest plant on 15 January prior to the publication of the FSAI survey. Preliminary qualitative results relating to samples taken by the Department on Tuesday 15th January, from product manufactured in Silvercrest Foods in the period 3 rd to 14th January, were published on Thursday 17th January. Thirteen samples of finished burgers from Silvercrest were tested for the presence of equine DNA. Nine tested positive for traces of equine DNA and four tested negative Seven samples of raw ingredients were also tested, one of which, sourced from another Member State, tested positive. Samples of ingredients in burgers sourced from Irish suppliers tested negative for equine DNA. All of the burgers in question had already been withdrawn voluntarily from the market. My Department informed the company of these further laboratory test results and the company suspended all production at the plant. The results were fully assessed jointly by Department officials and the FSAI and arrangements were made to have the positive samples further analysed with a view to quantifying the percentage of non beef DNA present 21st January Liffey Meats, samples from which were shown as having trace level non bovine DNA, is under permanent supervision by my Department. Results from tests on burgers from Liffey Meats Ltd., published on 21st January, showed that there was no presence of equine DNA in the product which was manufactured between January 10th and January 16th. These results supported the company's claims that it had addressed concerns raised by the FSAI survey findings. On the basis of the clear results and having regard to the fact that the initial FSAI result only disclosed trace levels, my Department indicated that there was no reason to prevent the company continuing production. The investigation to identify the source of the high level DNA finding involved three main components the taking of samples of burgers and raw materials, the analysis of the raw meat ingredients used in particular production batches, which tests results showed contained equine DNA positive burgers. Audit of associated paperwork held by the company This was a complex task as one or more ingredients from some 40 suppliers were used in these production batches and ingredients could vary in every half hour production batch. In the initial stages the focus of the investigation was on ingredients identified in the initial FSAI survey results as showing trace levels. These were discounted in the early stages of the investigation on the basis of further test results which allowed the conclusion be drawn that they were not the source of the high level equine DNA finding. As the investigation progressed it was possible to systematically sample and test ingredients which appeared to be common to the affected batches. This was a painstaking process. Laboratory capacity constraints, the time required to undertake the analysis and the need to seek confirmatory quantitative laboratory results necessarily prolonged the time needed for the investigation. The sampling process itself was difficult with the need to drill into large frozen blocks of meat multiple times in a systematic way to acquire the necessary sample quantity. The emphasis I am placing on the process is important because of the need to have certainty about the overall findings of the investigation and also in fairness to any supplier that might be implicated by the findings. 26th January With the investigation continuing almost round the clock and over weekends there was a major breakthrough late on Friday 25 January. Test results received overnight showed a significant positive result (4.1%) for equine DNA in frozen beef trimmings which were labelled as having been imported from Poland as raw material for the production of burgers at Silvercrest. Furthermore the Department had established that these trimmings were used in the manufacture of burgers which the Department had found to contain significant amounts of equine DNA. The investigation had therefore established a direct correlation between burgers in which a high level of equine DNA was detected and this raw material product. Further tests of samples of frozen beef trimmings, labelled as Polish origin, the results of which were subsequently received showed positive results of 3.8%, 7.6%, 13.1% and 37.8 %. In total therefore 9 samples of product labelled as Polish frozen beef trimmings were tested and 5 showed significant positive results. The authorities in Poland were informed of these findings. In the course of the investigation my Department has organised the testing of over 140 samples of primary products and ingredients for equine DNA. In total, 6 burgers and 7 samples of imported ingredient have tested positive for significant levels of equine DNA. I should reiterate that trace or low level non bovine DNA is not regarded as significant as pointed out in the FSAI statement of 19 January I would point out here that all of the commercial documents and payment records available to my Department and pertaining to the consignments in question at that point indicated that the product was shipped directly from Poland, although in one case the order was made through a trader based in the UK. These findings allowed the conclusion be drawn that the raw material in question was the source of equine DNA introduced into burgers manufactured at Silvercrest. It was also clear on the basis of tests on samples taken from Irish food ingredients, which were negative, that the integrity of Irish sourced product was not compromised. In the light of this conclusion the meat industry was alerted to the need to check the integrity of their suppliers and the Department continued to enquire as to whether other plants may have sourced similar type product. Rangeland Foods Late on Thursday evening 31 January Rangeland Foods notified the Department of its use of Polish meat ingredients used in the manufacture of certain burger lines due to the suspicion of the presence of equine DNA. The Department took samples of the material concerned from the plant on Friday 1 February to test for the presence of equine DNA and received results yesterday. These results showed 75% equine DNA in product described as frozen beef trimmings and labelled as Polish origin. However in this case the raw material was imported through a meat trader based in Ireland. Production has been voluntarily suspended at Rangeland Foods pending the outcome of the investigation. I would point out that the company has indicated that none of the implicated product has entered the food chain and that only Irish product is used for outlets in Ireland. My Department's inspectors have been in the plant since last Friday and, subject to confirmation of the position, we would hope to be able to make a further statement about possible resumption of production there soon. In the meantime the investigation is focusing on the full supply chain including those who facilitated the purchase of the product and its transfer to users in Ireland. I should make clear that, on the basis of the information available to my Department, no other producer of burgers in Ireland has used any imported product of the type which showed positive for equine DNA. In this context the Department is in continuing contact with the Polish authorities as the investigation has shown that all implicated raw material ingredient is labelled as Polish product. We have invited the Polish veterinary authorities to Ireland if they consider it necessary to examine the product and accompanying documentation. Arising from the high level equine DNA findings yesterday, the additional complexity of the supply chain, added to the facts uncovered in the investigation at Silvercrest and enquiries in Northern Ireland, I ordered the involvement of the my Department's Special Investigation Unit and also asked the Gardai to join the investigation team. From the point of view of preserving the integrity and reputation of the Irish food industry it is particularly important that the investigation is carried out in a thorough, prompt, secure and transparent manner. Very significant resources have been deployed by my Department and FSAI initially to find the source of this food incident so that consumers can be fully reassured and now also to consider whether there is fraudulent or criminal activity involved. I trust Deputies will appreciate that I need to avoid saying anything that might prejudice the outcome of the investigation now Conclusion In the bio-sector incidents such as this will occur and it is important to adapt our procedures where necessary in the light of experience gained. We will do so again in this case. I have already met with the meat industry in this regard. It is vitally important in investigations of the type underway to avoid speculation and knee-jerk reaction; and that decisions which may impact fundamentally on parties involved should be based on well-founded conclusions. My focus has been to identify and isolate the root cause of this problem so that a recurrence can be avoided. My aim throughout has been to ensure everything possible is done to fully restore consumer confidence in the meat sector. This includes taking whatever action is required to rectify matters; and ensuring that we continue to adopt the highest standards of quality and safety in our meat industry. I cannot comment in detail on decisions taken by large customers of Irish meat processors as a result of this issue, but I have been in direct contact with some of the major customers who have been affected, by this incident. They have been briefed on how the investigation was conducted that led to the identification of the source of the equine DNA. I trust that the manner we have addressed this issue will help in maintaining their confidence in Irish food. I have asked Bord Bia to maintain constant contact with our export markets to reassure markets that there is no food safety issue here and that the issue has been dealt with swiftly and appropriately by the Irish authorities. Thankfully all the indications are that this incident has had no discernible effect on markets outside of Ireland and the UK. As I indicated in my opening remarks, our agri-food sector is hugely important. It has been the jewel in the crown of our recovering economy in recent times. The sector has shown itself to be resilient in previous crises and I believe that we can again collectively overcome the current challenge, restore consumer confidence and retain the pre-eminent position that Irish food occupies in world markets.