Chicken fillets imported for sale in Ireland have been found to contain non-chicken DNA.
Traces of cow and pig protein were found in products imported from processors in the Netherlands following an investigation by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
While the foreign DNA poses no threat to public health, the chicken fillets, which were sold to caterers and butchers were not labelled as containing the additives which contravenes labelling regulations.
The chief executive of the FSAI, Dr Patrick Wall has described the discovery as "disturbing". "While there are no major risks to human health from the inclusion of pork in chicken, there will be real concern among religious groups and others who abstain from pig meat," Dr Wall said.
"It is not illegal to process chicken breasts by adding water and other ingredients, as long as these ingredients are clearly stated on the label of pre-packed products," Dr Wall continued.
He said, however, that he was concerned the chickens were sold loose and therefore were not labelled.
The Dutch and EU authorities have been notified and an order issued to wholesalers telling them not to distribute chicken supplied by the implicated suppliers pending the outcome of investigations.
Dr Wall said most consumers were not aware that some chicken fillets contain as little 55 per cent meat and that additives were present.