23/01/2013

10m Withdrawn Burgers 'To Be Destroyed'

ABP Food Group has confirmed that more than 10 million burgers withdrawn from supermarkets last week will be destroyed.

The burgers, produced by the groups Silvercrest Foods plant in Ballybay Co Monaghan and Dalepark Hambleton plant in Britain, were withdrawn from supermarkets following the discover of horse DNA last week.

A spokesperson for the ABP confirmed: "It is planned to destroy the withdrawn product."

One burger, produced by Silvercrest Foods for Tesco, contained 29.1 per cent horse DNA, relative to meat content.

The other nine samples had very low amounts of horse DNA, ranging from 0.3 per cent to levels too low to be quantified.

When the burgers were taken off the shelves last week, it was suggested that they could be donated to charity as both the food safety authority and Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney had stressed the burgers posed no food safety risk.

It was also suggested they could be offered to students who were still waiting for college grant payments, or used in pet food.

(H/GK)


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