The widening EU investigation into Euro Freeze and the hunt for meat products allegedly marked with the illicit certifications throughout the bloc emphasises the increasing role of regulations on the traceability of foods throughout companies' supply and distribution chains.
The latest food alert from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) relates to boxes of frozen second joint chicken wings.
The FSA stated that the products bear a suspect illicit product description label and broken or damaged health marks. The products were found during an inspection of frozen meat and poultry seized from Euro Freeze.
The health mark applied to the suspect boxes is on a white label with two identical health marks side by side printed on it either stating "United Kingdom 9509 EEC" or "UK 9509 EEC".
The health mark number 9509 is from O'Kane Poultry Ltd of Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Representatives from the company have confirmed that both formats of the above health mark are genuine, the FSA stated.
In addition they had confirmed that a product description label, which is not recognised by the company, had been applied to the boxes of frozen second joint chicken wings.
All the boxes of second joint chicken wings bearing the suspect illicit product description label and broken or damaged health marks have already been sold by O'Kane Poultry and were no longer under their control.
Hence the FSA put out the alert to try and prevent the products from being sold at the retail level, either directly to the consumer or in a processed product.
The FSA launched an investigation into Euro Freeze in November after a raid at the company's cold storage operations in Lisnaskea. The FSA shut the company's operations down and sent out a series of EU-wide safety alerts calling for companies to check the status of their products originating from Euro Freeze.
The focus of the enquiry is on repackaging, re-labelling and distribution of meat. Investigators have been examining evidence obtained from the coldstore including paper and computer records.
Local food safety authorities have been charged with contacting companies that have received Euro Freeze product to establish whether any items have illicit health markings. Suspect product is being detained for further investigation. The local authorities are also tracing product that has been sold on to other businesses.
Investigators are also attempting to trace back the products in the Euro Freeze coldstore to their source, to assess whether the product has come from legitimate sources and has been handled correctly, the FSA stated.
The exports include beef, poultry and pork products. The Euro Freeze investigation was sparked off in August after food regulators in Northern Ireland seized a consignment of chicken at a Belfast port. The seizure was made under the products of animal origin legislation.
The FSA believes the chicken originated from China, for importation into Northern Ireland via Greece. The meat was allegedly destined for Euro Freeze's coldstore. DARD officials subsequently destroyed all of the meat on animal health grounds.
DARD officials raided Euro Freeze on 9 November and shut the coldstore operation down after alleging they found evidence about the possible use of illicit health marks. A large quantity of meat was detained. Inspectors also found legitimately marked products, which has since been released for human consumption after being checked.
DARD also removed documents and computers from the premises. The company remains closed. The regulators said no specific food safety issues have been identified in relation to any particular products.