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FROZEN FOOD CHAIN Iceland has been forced to pull a newspaper ad that denied that any of its products had contained horse meat.
The company’s burgers had been found to contain 0.1 per cent equine DNA by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, but the company took out an ad in a British newspaper that said that these tests were untrustworthy.
Stating that no horse meat had been found in their British beef burgers, the ad carries text saying “The testing method used by the FSAI was not an accredited test.
“Two subsequent tests of the same batch of burgers carried out by two accredited independent laboratories found no evidence of contamination,” the ad reads.
A reader of the newspaper complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in Britain, who ordered that the ad not be repeated. The ASA said that Iceland had altered the ad after being contacted by the FSAI, but said that the ad “denigrated” the FSAI.
“We told Iceland to ensure their advertising did not discredit or denigrate organisations in future,” said the ASA.
“We considered that … the overall impression created by the ad was that the FSAI had not taken due care to ensure the accuracy or validity of the tests used, and therefore that its findings were questionable.
We understood that was not the case. We concluded the ad discredited the FSAI and therefore breached the code.
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What was it that Icelands CEO said about the report ‘well, that’s the Irish for you, isn’t it?………..such arrogance and disdain.
Yep, its the exact same ignorant so and so
He looks like some wineo pulled in off the street. Good luck ever opening up an iceland Here!
Tim, Iceland worryingly enough have a number of stores in Ireland
Ah Jaysus Tim, there’s one in Carlow
That’s why mums not going to Iceland .
I have never set foot in an Iceland store but after seeing that arrogant excuse for a CEO’s comment I certainly never will, and would question anyone that does. He hasn’t exactly lost a customer in me but I hope the response has helped shelve his ‘expansion’ plans in Ireland
I’ve never eaten “food” from Iceland, nor will I.
Worst if the worst type of food. You’d be lucky if you had horse meat in the burgers!
78% beef B-E-E-F.
Yeah 2nd attempt here went bust before trying again probably do better because they’re cheap
Dooh! I never new that. Never seen one either, defenetly none here in cork but I stand correction Again!
So I’ve heard lol, none in Cork that I know of.
Nasty company that uses thrashy b-rate celebs to lie about buying food for their families there.
More like z rated celebrities.
Kerry Katona is delighted with the upgrade to the B-list.
So they are claiming they have no horse meat,
Grand, but their meat still looks like it contains ash and cardboard, wouldn’t touch the stuff in a million years
Not forgetting beak and hole.
If it had horsemeat, at least it would have actual meat in it! It’s the non meat ingredients that I’d be more worried about.
‘Beak and hole’
Gave me a great laugh. +100
Nasty food in that place. If you want to get fat eat Iceland
Simply vote with your money and your feet, don’t go next or near the shop.
@ Tom Dallas….
Nail on the head there .
went into an iceland once…not a single bit of fruit, veg or meat (as in say plain chicken breasts as opposed to burgers) in sight!
Chicken dinosaurs £1
Be fair , Iceland customers need to buy the cheapest food for their kids after all you don’t want to spend all the children’s allowance on food. Cigarettes, drugs alcohol and fake tan are very expensive.
Not a fair comment. I don’t buy food there but some families have no choice. Not fair to tar them with the same brush
It wouldn’t be the first untrue article in a newspaper!
I’m sure the Icelandic people are devastated!
It’s an insult to Iceland to have a store like this with the same name. Cheap nasty muck they sell. And they rip off irish customers compared to Britain.
Well, I am Icelandic, and I am devastated. How dare they take a horse and call him a burger. It’s a disgrace, a shame, and tasty
Wouldn’t step foot inside one of their stores after the blatant anti-Irish comments of their CEO. My money is better spent in a retailer that does not denigrate or besmirch my country.
It shouldn’t have any place in Ireland I wouldn’t go near the kip …. The stuff they sell shouldn’t be compared to real food …
That’s why terrible Mums go to Iceland.
Are they really that bad? Never been in one.
Iceland makes Lidl look like Marks and Spencer.
to be fair to lidl, they sell food. not always displayed/packaged prettilly but its actual food with nutritional value
iceland on the other hand…
Yes Morticia. Yes they are that bad. Like you wouldn’t believe
Well look on the bright side. at least it was only horse meat and not whale meat which is commonly found in Iceland
Is the sudden outpour of hate for the very ground Iceland stands on really justified?
Iceland have a fresh fruit and veg section (and an entire aisle of frozen veg). It’s toward the back of most of them where the fridges (not freezers) are. Weight watchers meals are cheaper there than tesco (and lidl, when lidl have them in the weekly specials) and their takeaway meals are cheaper and more than likely better for you than actual takeaway, while still tasting decent.
I live mostly off the lidl and aldi super six, but I do go into Iceland about once a month to stock up on freezer stuff. The majority of the food is junk, yes, but it knows well it is.
Don’t get me wrong. What the CEO said is WAY out of line. But holy overreaction in the comments, batman.
have your say