Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said residue testing of meat and dairy products will be increased following the discovery of the banned growth hormone Zilpaterol in imported molasses.

Under the National Residue Control Plan (NRCP), Department of Agriculture officials sample food producing species at farm and primary processing/packing levels.

More than 900 samples are tested each year for Zilpaterol from cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and horses.

None has been found in the last 10 years, Minister McConalogue he told Sinn Féin agriculture spokesman Matt Carthy in a response to a parliamentary question.

“To ensure the continued integrity of the food chain targeted, NRCP testing will be increased over the coming period to provide additional assurances with regards overall public health and food safety,” he said.

'No feed safety issue'

The Minister said that, based on lab results and risk assessment, there was no feed safety issue with the Zilpaterol contaminated feed ingredient.

As reported by the Irish Farmers Journal, GAIN Horse Feeds reported that some of its feeds were tested and found to be contaminated with Zilpaterol.

Molasses supplied by ED and F Man Liquid Products Ireland Ltd was subsequently recalled.

Investigation

Minister McConalogue said his department worked with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and a full traceability investigation of identified feed products and ingredients was completed by Department officials.

“Following laboratory analysis, a specific importation of molasses was found to have contained very low or trace levels of a beta agonist, Zilpaterol,” he told Sinn Féin agriculture spokesman Matt Carthy in reply to a parliamentary question.

“My Department immediately instructed the import company to initiate a full recall of the contaminated molasses. All feed business operators in receipt of the contaminated molasses have been identified and advised to retain the product pending its return to the import company.”

My Department immediately instructed the import company to initiate a full recall of the contaminated molasses

Feeds containing molasses from the affected batch were also sampled and sent for official analysis.

“Test results for these precautionary feed samples indicated that Zilpaterol levels were below the accredited range of the method of analysis,” the minister said.

“Based on these laboratory results of the levels of Zilpaterol and indicative risk assessments by relevant experts, there is no feed safety issue as a result of this contamination.”

Read more

Glanbia lifts hold on selling cattle feed

Beef management: Time to weigh cattle and review performance