It was recently discovered that some batches of Gain horse feed had been contaminated with the substance Zilpaterol, a feed supplement used in some beef production systems outside of the EU.

Customers were advised to stop feeding Gain products until further notice following this discovery.

Investigations have been ongoing and Gain announced on Sunday (10 October) that one of their molasses suppliers, ED & F Man, issued an urgent action and recall notice which stated: “ED&F Man Liquid Products Ireland Ltd is informing you that products listed below are suspected of containing minute traces of the substance Zilpaterol. Although the initial levels detected are extremely low, the substance in question is banned in the European Union.”

Following the confirmation of an equine feed issue on Friday 2 October, Gain undertook a forensic investigation which swiftly and accurately pinpointed the source.

Gain switched molasses supplier on Monday 5 October and resumed the production of equine feed following consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), which is the regulatory body responsible for the feed sector in Ireland.