New report shows rotting meat was used to make burgers at Larry Goodman’s factory

Larry Goodman

A new report into last year’s horse meat scandal has found that rotting meat was used to produce frozen burgers at a factory formerly owned by local millionaire Larry Goodman.

The Polish study into the debacle found that the Silvercrest factory in Ballybay, Co Monaghan produced burgers “not fit for human consumption.”

The country’s chief veterinary officer, Inspector Katarzyna Piskorz, said: “It was part of a bigger consignment but I was told the rest of it had already been used.

“I asked why the factory managers had not noticed the state of it, but was told they had not seen any problem.”

The report says eight pallets of meat were examined in early 2013 and they say they found old meat that was green and rotting or brown.

The company, which provides food to Tesco and Aldi, said the meat was discoloured because it had been in a fridge under quarantine for three weeks.

It said the meat had gone off while being moved and unpacked for testing.

But the Polish inspector denied this and said there was an unrealistic explanation.

Ms Piskorz said: “In my opinion, the green and brown meat mixed with red meat could not be the result of three weeks in the lorry. It is impossible.

The Polish inspection team said they were also told of further fears that unfit food had entered the human food chain.

The government here confirmed Polish officials had told it about the report last December.

The scandal was revealed a year ago by the Department of Agriculture after it emerged that horsemeat was used in a wide range of meat-based products.

The department shook the European meat industry after it announced that tests had detected horsemeat in burgers.

Larry Goodman’s firm ABP, who ran Silvercrest, was at the centre of the scandal after horsemeat was found at its plant. ABP are based in Ardee.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland found 29% horse DNA in the meat of a frozen burger at its Silvercrest Plant in Ballybay – which it has since sold to Kepak.

ABP Food Group facing High Court law suit

Louth-based ABP Food Group is being sued for alleged defamation by Martin McAdam of McAdam Food Products Ltd.

The company, which is owned by local millionaire Larry Goodman, has its headquarters in Ardee and is a former sponsor of the Louth GAA team.

In the High Court proceedings, Monaghan meat trader McAdam has claimed that ABP deliberately made “false and malicious allegations” about him and his business to deflect media attention at the height of the horse meat controversy last year.

Mr McAdam said he did not supply the Ballybay-based Silvercrest plant – which was found to have 29% horse DNA in the meat of a frozen burger – with meat that tested positive for horse DNA.

Commenting to the media in recent days, Mr McAdam said he wanted to bring the legal action against ABP “as soon as the courts allow, so therefore I hope it could be spring or early summer when the case can be heard.

ABP Food chief executive Paul Finnerty said the company would “vigorously” defend that action and told The Irish Times that ABP had not been sued by any other firm in connection with the horse meat incident.

ABP sponsor culinary arts at Dundalk IT

Hospitality student Lorna Long receives beef parcel from Eoin Ryan, ABP

ABP Beef, a division of the Ardee-based ABP Food Group, has generously agreed to sponsor the Dundalk IT hospitality department for the current academic year. They will supply DkIT Hospitality with beef to be used by students training to work in the hospitality sector.

The sponsorship was agreed after Lecturer in Culinary Arts, Michael McNamara, noticed that many cuts of beef popular in other countries were not as readily available in Irish hotels and restaurants. With a view to broadening his students’ range of knowledge and skills, and also contributing to a wider choice of beef dishes in Irish hotels and restaurants, Michael approached ABP with a view to them supplying beef to the DkIT Hospitality department. ABP Beef kindly agreed and this partnership was formally launched on yesterday when Eoin Ryan of ABP delivered the first consignment of beef.

A statement on the college website says: “DkIT is delighted to partner with ABP Food Group in training students to work in one of the most vibrant areas of the Irish economy, the food service sector. We look forward to cooperating to provide skills to our students that will enhance both their future careers and the Irish hospitality industry generally.”

Ah here!

 

Above is a new advertising campaign from Ardee-based ABP Food Group, which is owned by local millionaire Larry Goodman.

The basis behind the campaign is the slogan ‘Setting Standards’. Considering their role in the recent horse meat controversy and the fact that one of ABP’s subsidiaries has lost a valuable contract with Burger King to rivals Kepak, maybe the slogan ‘Setting Standards’ is slightly ill-advised!