Arrabawn Co-Operative Society Limited has been convicted and fined €40,000 for breaches of food law.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has welcomed this ruling by Judge Miriam Walsh at Ballinasloe District Court in a case involving Arrabawn Co-Operative Society Limited of Kilconnell, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

The company agreed to pay the FSAI’s legal costs and a contribution to the investigation costs. A former quality manager for the company was also convicted and fined €6,500.

The case was brought by the FSAI after receipt of a protected disclosure in August 2020, which resulted in an investigation led by the FSAI, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The investigation found that documents had been illegally forged or altered and that these documents were then provided to business customers, third-party auditors, and to FSAI and DAFM authorised officers.The breaches of food law of which Arrabawn Co-Operative Society Limited pleaded guilty include:

Dr. Pamela Byrne, CEO of the FSAI said that this court decision "reinforces the legal obligation that all food businesses must abide by food law, which are in place to protect consumers’ health and interests".

"Customers must have confidence in their food suppliers, certain in the knowledge that the food they are purchasing is safe and trustworthy."