On Wednesday, 30 January, Poland has made a notification via EU´s Rapid Alert System for Feed and Food (RASFF) regarding beef having been delivered from an illegally operated slaughterhouse to a Polish meat cutting plant from where the meat products have been exported to nine EU member countries, including Finland. According to the Polish authorities, a small amount, approximately 250 kg, of illegally slaughtered meat has been exported to Finland. According to the monitoring information of Polish and Finnish authorities, however, no beef has been imported directly to Finland from the slaughterhouse.
The Finnish Food Authority is currently investigating whether any illegally slaughtered meat has ended up being sold in Finland or whether it is still in warehouses. The meat is being withdrawn from the markets. The Finnish Food Authority has also requested other companies importing meat to Finland to check in their part whether they have received any meat from the illegal slaughterhouse or the cutting plant to where meat from the slaughterhouse in question has been delivered. In addition, the Finnish Food Authority has been in contact with municipal food authorities.
According to the Polish authorities, all operations of the illegal slaughterhouse have been shut down. The products of the meat cutting plant which have utilised illegally slaughtered meat from the criminal slaughterhouse have been withdrawn from the market.
The Finnish Food Authority will report more on the issue after having received additional information.
For more information, please contact:
Leena Räsänen, Director of Food Safety Department, tel. +358 50 388 6518