LOCAL IMPACT:MONDAY AT Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd in Rosscarbery, west Cork normally involves a 6.30am start to make sausages and then a hectic morning of sorting orders for delivery around the country.
Yesterday, factory owner Avril Allshire was in the "scary" situation of having to call some of her workers to tell them to stay at home. She then spent the day doing a stock take, contacting stores and worrying about whether her Christmas hams would go to waste.
Moreover, utility bills continue to come in for cold rooms that are being used to house products which might never make it to the supermarket. Allshire and her husband Willie are proud of their bacon, rasher and assorted pork products - they have the inhouse slogan, "Obsessed with Quality".
Willie Allshire has an old-fashioned approach to producing free range pigs and Irish Angus cattle. His aim is to produce quality with flavour; this is achieved by rearing their animals as nature intended, slowly.
The Allshires sell two ranges - one from their own farm and a second, Rosscarbery Recipes, which involves meat bought in from a local factory.
The Allshires took a decision not to import meat such was their depth of feeling about supporting the community. But the pork recall over the weekend was devastating for them and their counterparts around the country.
Avril says she is trying to be hopeful about the situation but she is worried about her livelihood and that of her five employees. "Yesterday I was in tears . . . I don't know where we are going to get the money to get through Christmas. Everything we have is invested in the business," she said.
Established in 1997, three years ago Caherbeg moved from a 240sq ft portacabin to a building measuring 3,000sq ft . Avril says Caherbeg has come a long way from when she and Willie started out with a few free range pigs.
She says she is devastated that her business is being put in jeopardy because of the recall and is suspicious of the blanket ban on pork products.
She is praying that the situation will be rectified as soon as possible, but is concerned that it will be too late for national deliveries.
"People are saying we will have pork and bacon on the shelves by the weekend. But our ham takes 10 days to cure. If they raise the barrier at the weekend and say you can be in, it will be too late for deliveries in Dublin,"she says.
"There is a big difference between artisan producers like us and other companies. We are very exact about our curing . . . I don't understand what is going on because they have traceability. Why didn't they go in to those factories and the people involved? Then you have to ask who is involved? All you can do is stay in contact with your stores. It is just so scary."