Following a meeting with Denny Executives, UFU President John Thompson said, “Denny is a well known brand in Northern Ireland and we feel very strongly that consumers have a right to know if the pigmeat they are eating is not 100 per cent Northern Irish. We have explored this issue with Denny, which is a part of the Kerry Food Group, and it was disappointing to learn that Denny can not guarantee that their branded products sold in Northern Ireland are free from pigmeat imported from outside the island of Ireland, let alone Northern Ireland.

“We have urged Denny to move towards ensuring their branded produce sold in Northern Ireland is genuinely local. I understand that Denny is part of a national group and they have a complex sourcing chain. However, if Denny are truly committed to supporting the local economy, as they say they are, I believe they should be seriously investigating ways to develop a sourcing chain that can deliver a consistently local Northern Irish product.

“Denny is a well loved brand in Northern Ireland, probably as a result of their history and marketing message, and many consumers associate it with being local. I think consumers in Northern Ireland will be surprised and disappointed by the fact that buying Denny doesn’t necessarily mean you are buying only local pigmeat.

Mr Thompson added, “Denny have pointed out to us that they are compliant with existing labelling regulations. However, the UFU feel that this information should be much clearer, and is committed to drawing consumers’ attention to the fact that the Denny product they are buying could be made from imported pigmeat, which may have come from outside Northern Ireland and even the island of Ireland. The misconception that when you eat a Denny product you are eating 100 per cent local produce has gone on too long.“

The UFU will continue to urge Denny to consistently source Northern Ireland pigmeat for their branded products in Northern Ireland.