Moy Park

Moy Park is Northern Ireland based poultry meat producer, the largest meat producer in Northern Ireland, with operations in the Republic of Ireland, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Moy Park
Private
IndustryFood processing
Headquarters
Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Area served
Europe
Key people
Chris Kirke
ProductsFood
OwnerJBS S.A.
ParentPilgrim's Pride[1]
Websitewww.moypark.com

One of the 15 biggest food companies in the United Kingdom,[2] Moy Park is the largest employer in Northern Ireland, with 6,300 employees, 5,400 in Great Britain, 800 in France, 100 in the Netherlands and around 50 in the Republic of Ireland.[1]

History

The company was founded in 1943 in the village of Moygashel near Dungannon; it continues to have a factory in Dungannon.[3]

In September 2015, the company was sold by one Brazilian food processing company, Marfrig, to another, JBS S.A., for almost £1 billion.[1]

A £20 million investment in Moy Park's Dungannon facility was announced in late 2015,[4] to increase production to 2.3 million birds per week.[4] In March 2016, the company announced it would be investing £4 million at its Seagoe site in Craigavon to increase production of cooked chicken.[5]

Prior to the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, the company's Chief Executive, Janet McCollum, said that the UK should remain within the European Union.[6] The company has used the freedom of movement within the EU to employ over 1,000 workers from countries such as Lithuania, Poland and Portugal at its Northern Ireland facilities.[6] After the UK voted to leave the EU, the company announced that it planned to move its headquarters to the Republic of Ireland.[7]

In September 2017, JBS sold Moy Park to Pilgrim's Pride for £1 billion; JBS owns 79% of Pilgrim's Pride.[8]

Products

The company supplies supermarkets including Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Ocado,[9] and fast food restaurants such as McDonald's and Burger King.[1] Brands include:[2]

  • Moy Park Chicken
  • O'Kane (breaded and ready to eat products)
  • Castle Lea (ready to eat products)
  • Moy Park Foodservice (frozen poultry)
  • Kitchen Range Foods (frozen desserts, meat free and gluten free foods)
  • Albert Van Zoonen (snack products)
  • Orléans (meat processing)
  • McLarnon Feeds (animal feeds)

Controversy

In June 2019, Animal Equality UK stated that after visiting three Moy Park farms in Lincolnshire on multiple occasions between February and April 2019, that they had filmed evidence of "extreme suffering". The charity said carcasses were "left to rot for days", and birds were found with severe leg injuries, with some unable to stand.[9]

References
  1. Canning, Margaret (2015-09-29). "Moy Park taken over by JBS in Northern Ireland's biggest ever food deal at £988m". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  2. "About Moy Park". Moy Park. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  3. Graham Ruddick and Ashley Armstrong (16 August 2014). "Poultry giant Moy Park cooking up London flotation". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2017.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)>
  4. Forde, Amy (2015-08-20). "Moy Park Dungannon marks 40 years with £20m investment". AgriLand Media Limited. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  5. "Moy Park invest £4m in Seagoe factory". Portadown Times. 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-03-12. Moy Park are investing £4 million in their facilities at Seagoe Industrial Estate to enhance their ‘ready to eat’ cooked chicken production.
  6. Canning, Margaret (2016-03-01). "Brexit: Europe is our market, insists Moy Park boss". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  7. "Dungannon's biggest employer has Brexit contigency plans including new headquarters in the South". Tyrone Times. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  8. Julian O'Neill (11 September 2017). "NI-based poultry firm Moy Park sold for £1bn". BBC News. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  9. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-48745253
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