Nine months later, country of origin health rules still flouted

WHETHER it’s that radio ad for chickens from Kelly’s farm up the road near the Goal Post Pub, or beef from their neighbours across the road, any promotion that gets the message over to the consumer that Irish food is fresh, natural, and nutritional is worthwhile.

That Food Safety Authority radio promotion is effectively delivering a necessary message — but it is only a small part of the job which needs to be done to put Irish farm produce in its proper place.

Bord Bia is re-activating promotion of the Feile Bia initiative, which has achieved a measure of success, but leaves a lot more to be done. Imported meat is still being served to consumers in Irish hotels and restaurants every day without any indication of its origin, more than nine months after Minister Mary Coughlan introduced the Health (Country of Origin of Beef) Regulations, requiring catering establishments to communicate to the consumer, information on the country of origin of beef. Customers who question the source of beef, lamb or chicken have experienced a variety of responses. Some are told that they don’t know, but they could find out, others that it is Irish, but they don’t have any proof.