Labelling hit by 195 breaches

THERE were 195 infringements of poultry food safety and food labelling legislation at retail and wholesale level already this year, and 219 last year, according to Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith.

He told the Dáil there were 107 such infringements in relation to meat and poultry processing plants in the first half of this year, and 150 throughout 2007.

Replying to a question from Deputy Andrew Doyle, he said his department has ensured that the food business operators have taken action to resolve these infringements.

The main challenge facing the indigenous Irish poultry industry is competition from competitively priced imports of fresh poultry from other EU countries, said the minister. He said labelling continues to be an issue for the sector, but the European Commission has shot down Irish efforts to make country of origin labelling compulsory on all meats.

His department has provided details to the EU of current misleading labelling practices and evidence of consumers’ desire for country of origin labelling.

In general, the place of origin of a foodstuff must be given only if its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree.

But Mr Smith will continue to press for country of origin labelling in the context of the commission’s proposal for a new regulation on food information, likely to be submitted to the EU Council of Health ministers during 2009.

EU beef labelling legislation requiring country of origin labelling of beef has been in place since September 2000, and has been extended in Ireland to the catering sector. EU regulations provide for labelling of unprocessed poultry meat at retail level with information regarding class, price, condition, registered number of slaughterhouse or cutting plant and, where imported from a third country or country of origin.