Hi °C | Lo °C ONE of Ireland's largest catering companies has confirmed it discovered horsemeat in burgers it supplied to a "small number of sites in the Republic and Northern Ireland where we provide catering".
Compass Group Ireland said these burgers were supplied by Rangeland Foods in Co Monaghan.
It had withdrawn them as a precaution after horsemeat was discovered in an ingredient at the Rangeland plant.
Compass said that despite receiving written assurances from Rangeland Foods that none of the product containing horsemeat had entered production, Compass' own subsequent tests "identified a minor amount of horse DNA".
"We are deeply concerned by this finding and that, despite the written assurances we and our supplier received, we have had this breach of our supply chain," it said in a statement today.
Compass said it is now undertaking a DNA testing programme across its processed meat products.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland issued an alert yesterday after UK tests revealed between 5pc and 30pc horsemeat in some burgers produced by Rangeland.
