Guidelines on food safety management
Authors Blaithin Maunsell and Declan Bolton have compiled the scientific information required by farmers to develop food safety practices on their farms. They point out that farmers have a key role to play in maintaining the positive image of Irish produce, and an important responsibility to protect public health.
Although Irish farmers are renowned for the natural, wholesome, safe food they produce, food-borne illness, in the guise of a major food poisoning outbreak, would negate all the hard work invested in achieving this status, and would compromise consumer confidence in Irish food.
They have covered food safety aspects of animal traceability, feed, water, animal housing and conditions, clean livestock, animal health and disease prevention, detergents, disinfectants and agro-chemicals, milk quality, animal waste, bio-security and poultry.
Managing many food safety risks begin at farm level, through a co-ordinated approach which is critical to prevent the introduction of hazards into the food chain, said the Teagasc Food Specialists.
