Claims made by a group of protesters in Dublin today that “foreign beef is being labelled as Irish” have been roundly dismissed by Bord Bia.
A gathering of 25 members of the Independent Farmers of Ireland group demonstrated outside Bord Bia’s headquarters in the capital this morning, Friday, November 1, voicing their concerns over low beef prices.
At the protest, a number of demonstrators made allegations related to the importing of “foreign beef” which they claimed is being labelled as Irish – an alleged issue that the group wants the organisation to address.
However, following the protest Bord Bia issued a robust rejection of such claims.
‘Misleading’
In a statement a spokesperson for the Irish food board said the Bord Bia Origin Ireland logo can only be applied to meat products from animals born and reared on quality assured Irish farms in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and slaughtered at quality assured meat processing facilities in the republic.
It continued to outline that resultant meat is processed and packed in the republic also.
It is misleading and untrue to state that non-Irish beef could carry the Origin Ireland logo.
“The use of the Origin Ireland logo is also extended to include animals born and reared on quality assured Irish farms in RoI and slaughtered in RoI, but resultant meat sliced and packed outside the RoI.
“If products are sliced, minced or packed in an approved Bord Bia processing facility outside RoI and offered for sale in RoI, then the label must state where it has been packed (town and/or country).
“This must be in a font size that is easily legible to the consumer and adjacent to the factory stamp.
Further processing as described above can take place only at a processing facility that has been audited and verified under the Bord Bia Quality Assurance scheme, with full traceability of product assured.
“Bord Bia implements robust traceability requirements at all Bord Bia approved meat processing facilities with spot audits conducted to ensure compliance,” the spokesperson concluded.