Recall of Irish pork

Tuesday 9 December 2008

The FSA has today published a list of the meat processors in the Republic of Ireland affected by the pork incident and also meat companies in England that have received pork products from these companies. The risk to consumer health from these pork products remains very low, as the Chief Scientist highlights in his recent blog (see link below).

The Agency has been working since late Saturday 6 December to gather information to identify both the processors and the companies involved. To date, five processing plants in the Republic of Ireland that have received the contaminated pork have been identified. In addition, 12 processing plants in Northern Ireland have been identified as potentially receiving contaminated pork from the Republic of Ireland and investigations are ongoing. It has been confirmed that no pigs in Northern Ireland have been fed contaminated feed.

The FSA has been in regular communication with local authorities, and has today formally issued a Food Alert for Action.

As new information becomes available regarding traceability, the Agency will issue an updated food alert.

There is generally good traceability in the UK food supply chain. Most major retailers and caterers have already traced their products and removed any affected products. We've asked retailers to work with us to agree a date this week when we will be able to say with certainty that consumers can now buy Irish pork unaffected by contaminated feed.

For the time being, shops, manufacturers and caterers that can trace the origin of their products, whether they be meat joints or ingredients of mixed products such as sausages, directly to a farm that is unaffected by the contaminated feed, are able to continue selling their products.

If consumers have any doubts or concerns about the source of any pork products they have bought, they should contact the shop at which they bought them.