Government praised for crisis management of pigmeat recall

A LEADING food scientist at Kansas State University has praised Ireland’s December 2008 pigmeat recall, holding it up as a crisis management model for others to follow.

Food scientist Douglas Powell said the speed and clarity of the message to the Irish public was an example of communi-cations excellence. Professor Powell praised the media campaign, which related to the recall of Irish products from pigs who had eaten feed contaminated with dioxins, but which, nonetheless, presented no serious threat to public health.

Prof Powell said: “Consumers were so comforted by the Irish government’s explanations of the low level of risk from the contamination that many were confused as to why the pork was even recalled, and accused the government of Ireland of over-reacting.