Keelaghan Wholesale Meats fined for labelling imported beef as Irish
The Ashbourne, Co. Meath-based firm was found guilty of six charges related to food safety legislation at Navan District Court last week.
Offences included falsely declaring Irish origin for beef imported from Poland, Lithuania or Germany; false Irish slaughter and cutting plant codes on packaging labels and having an inadequate beef traceability plan.
The case was brought by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and follows an investigation by the agency and Meath County Council.
Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO of FSAI, said the breaches related to deliberate misleading of the consumer.
“Food businesses are obliged by law to ensure that the information they provide to their customers is accurate,” she said.
“Customers must have confidence in their food suppliers and should seek to assure themselves that the food they are purchasing is authentic and that the integrity of the supply chain has not been compromised.
“Food businesses should ensure that they have robust traceability systems in place and that they carry out their own audits of their suppliers to check that they have the appropriate food safety systems in place and are complying with the law.”
