Food Safety

Food Safety and Food Animal Welfare

  • Monaghan County Council is responsible for the supervision of small abattoirs (or slaughterhouses) in the county which slaughter cattle and sheep, and for the welfare of the animals slaughtered.
  • Monaghan County Council is responsible for the supervision of small meat plants which prepare or cook or wholesale meat or meat based products for supply to hotels, restaurants, butchers and retailers.
  • These businesses supply food to food businesses in Co. Monaghan, throughout the island of Ireland and may supply food to any country in the European Union. Supervision involves regular inspections of the premises of these businesses to ensure that proper standards of buildings and equipment and proper standards in the operation of these businesses, as set out in EU and Irish law, are being maintained. These standards are checked by testing samples of product from these premises to ensure their quality.
  • This service is carried out by the County Veterinary Officer and two Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs).
  • The TVIs are responsible for examining all cattle and sheep before and after slaughter to ensure that they are fit for human consumption and to ensure that the animals are properly handled and slaughtered with due regard for their welfare.

 

The protection and the supervision of the food chain in Monaghan and in Ireland is co-ordinated by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and is delivered through different branches of government, namely, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Health Services Executive of the Department of Health and the local authorities e.g. Monaghan County Council.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine supervises farm production, large factories slaughtering cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry, large factories producing meat products such as sausages and cooked meats, egg production, milk processing plants, and factories producing animal feeds and also covers the harvesting, production and placing on the market of seafish. The Health Services Executive covers food businesses selling directly to the consumer including retailers, takeaways, restaurants and hotels, nursing homes and hospitals. In Monaghan, supervision of these businesses is carried out by the Environmental Health Officers of the Cavan-Monaghan division of the Health Services Executive. These agencies, along with the local authorities, combine to ensure the regulation of food production from farm to fork.

Details of Local Slaughterhouses:
Shortts Ltd, Main St, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan – Approval No. 2462
Jim & Keith Shortt slaughter cattle and sheep sourced from local farmers and supply carcase meat to their own shop in Castleblayney. They also supply fresh meat and meat products to other local establishments.

Gerard & Martin Quinn, Laragh, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan – Approval No. 2649
Gerard & Martin Quinn slaughter cattle and sheep sourced from local farmers and supply carcase meat to their butcher shops in Castleblayney and Ballybay.

Charley Meats, Corrawillan, Castleshane, Co. Monaghan – Approval No. 2997

Charley & Martin Conaty slaughter cattle and sheep sourced from local farmers and supply carcase meat to their own shop in Monaghan.

 

Details of Local Small Meat Plants:

Farney Foods, Cloughvalley Industrial Estate, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan – Approval No. 2315

Farney Foods prepares and cooks hams with pork sourced from slaughter plants in Ireland for supply to restaurants, delicatessens and retailers all over Ireland.

Duffys Pork and Bacon Ltd, Tullycara, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan – Approval No. 2328

Duffy’s Pork & Bacon prepares joints and cuts of fresh pork and distributes fresh and frozen pork, rashers, sausages and cooked ham and puddings to restaurants and retailers throughout the North East region.

Treanor Poultry, Knockaconny, Monaghan – Approval No. 2750

Treanor Poultry prepares cuts of poultry and distributes fresh and cooked poultry meat to hotels, restaurants, butcher shops and retailers in Co. Monaghan.

Hilden Farm Foods Ltd., Ballybay Enterprise Park, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan – Approval No. 2922

Hilden Farm Foods Ltd.  produces beef dripping for retail sale in Ireland.