Anglo Beef Processors Ireland wins horse-meat disclosure ruling

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Anglo Beef Processors Ireland secured a disclosure ruling in the High Court. The proceedings were reported on 16 March 2015.

Trading as Silvercrest Foods, the company is suing Polish-based Food Service SP.z.o.o for damages for alleged breach of contract over beef consignments allegedly supplied on 5 December 2012 and 7 January 2013. ABP said the consignments contained horse meat.

Food Service denied the claims. Its defence said a third-party company transported the consignments to Ireland. Food Service claimed that the product loaded onto the lorry in Poland was not what arrived in Ireland, and that unknown people had substituted the consignments.

ABP sought security documentation covering the consignments from sourcing through delivery. It also sought documents concerning other frozen beef consignments sold by Food Service between July 2012 and June 2013 that were found to contain horse meat.

Food Service opposed the application, saying it could not provide the transport company's security documentation because that company was not a party to the proceedings. It disputed the relevance of documents about other consignments and said it had already agreed to provide materials voluntarily.

The report also said the court heard that Food Service was not responsible in fact or in law once it placed its product on the lorry.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan ruled that ABP was entitled to all the requested documentation because it was relevant to the claim. Noting the difficulties the defendant would face in providing it, he adjourned the matter for 18 weeks to allow discovery.