DNA testing to expose outlets that mislabel imported pork as Irish

Ciaran Meghen, managing director of Identigen, outlines the sample DNA testing process to IFA national pigs chairman Tim Cullinan, Bord Bia chief executive Aidan Cotter and IFA general secretary Pat Smith

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Retailers who label imported pork products as Irish are to be exposed as part of a joint initiative by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and Bord Bia.  

The agri-food groups have enlisted DNA firm Identigen to test rashers, sausages, and cooked ham, in order to trace the genetic fingerprint of any suspected pork imports against a national "boar" database.

Ten experts have begun sampling products from supermarkets, butchers, and restaurants.

The groups want to protect Ireland’s pigmeat industry, which is valued at €1bn and supports 10,000 jobs. 

IFA pigmeat chairman Tim Cullinan urged consumers to ensure they were purchasing a genuine Irish product by only buying pork that carried a "Bord Bia quality assured" label. 

Bord Bia said the programme will put an end to misleading labels. The organisation added that the unique traceability feature may also attract more overseas consumers to buy Irish pork products. 

The “DNA certified” programme will record a verdict of non-compliance when a number of samples from the same source are found not to match its national boar database, highlighting the presence of non-Irish pigmeat. 

The IFA plans to collect meat samples labelled as Irish and expose mislabeling on an ongoing basis.

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