Italy's €200m Beef with Ireland

ITALY - Attempts are being made to rescue Ireland’s €200 million beef trade with Italy, which has “almost ground to a halt” because of the dioxin scare, according to industry sources.

12 January 2009

1 minute read

Europe

According to the IrishTimes, beef producers in Italy are facing difficulties getting Irish-born cattle slaughtered at meat plants, orders for live cattle have been cancelled and the beef trade has slowed to a trickle because of veterinary certification demands from the Italians.

The premium grade trade with Italy had been Ireland’s second most important beef market by volume in the EU until the dioxin scare in December, when all Irish pork products were recalled from the market, reports The Times.

The Italians, who had a major dioxin scandal themselves earlier last year, when toxic substances were found in milk used for making mozzarella in areas around Naples, responded swiftly to the recall.