McDonald’s has ‘no plans’ to source potatoes from Ireland

McDonald’s Ireland has no plans to source potatoes from Ireland at this time, a spokesperson from McDonald’s has confirmed. Recently, McDonald’s UK announced that the only potatoes it will use for its fries will be UK potatoes. The move will make McDonald’s one of the largest buyers of UK potatoes through supplier McCain Foods and Lamb Weston. McDonald’s Ireland sources its potatoes from supplier McCain’s in the UK, the spokesperson said and there are no plans to source potatoes from Ireland at this time. All McDonald’s beef, bacon, milk, cheese, water and eggs are 100% Irish, the spokesperson said. The company also exports Irish dairy produce, bacon and eggs into the McDonald’s system internationally, the spokesperson said. McDonald’s purchases over 40,000t of Bord Bia Quality Assured Irish beef annually which equates to approximately 10% of Ireland’s total beef output by volume. McDonald’s Irish suppliers include Dawn Meats (beef), Kerry Group (dairy produce), Ballygowan (water), Dew Valley (bacon), Flahavan’s (porridge oats) and Greenfield Foods (eggs). There is currently no chipping plant in Ireland however, Meade Potato Company last year announced plans to invest a significant amount of money over the next three to five years to bring the production of Irish chips to their headquarters in Lobinstown, Co. Meath. Source: Agriland.ie