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Allister demands answers on horse meat revelations

16 January 2013

TUV Leader Jim Allister is tabling a series of Assembly Questions in light of the disclosure that horse meat has been found in meat products on sale in Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the evolving situation Jim Allister said, "Farms, on foot of EU wide regulation, are inspected endlessly and if anything is found wrong the consequences are severe, with loss of SFP and other penalties, yet, it seems some meat plants have been mixing in horse meat into beef products, which begs the question of how adequate inspection of plants has been?

"It is important that DARD and the Food Standards Agency demonstrate they are, and have been, on top of the situation. Accordingly, I am tabling the following Assembly Questions:-

To ask DARD what if any finds of horse DNA, or other foreign material, has been found in any of Northern Ireland's meat plants in each of the last 5 years.

To ask DARD given the finds of horse DNA in meat plants elsewhere in the British Isles, what assurance is there that the provenance of material processed in Northern Ireland's meat plants is beyond reproach.

To ask DARD given the finds of horse DNA in meat plants elsewhere in the British Isles, how confident is the department in the fitness for purpose of the horse passport system in operation in Northern Ireland and what changes are anticipated.

To ask DARD how often inspectors actually visit meat plants in Northern Ireland to check on the provenance of meat being processed therein, and how the frequency compares with 5 years ago.

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