British consumers reassured over pork

A CAMPAIGN to protect the reputation of Irish meat in crucial markets was given a big boost yesterday when British consumers were assured by their food safety agency that they can buy Irish pork with confidence.

The British Food Standards Agency referred to its earlier announcement that Northern Ireland pork was not affected by contamination and remains unaffected by the feed incident.

But it also noted that the authorities in the Republic of Ireland have put in place measures to restore supplies of Irish pork and bacon.

It said shops, manufacturers and caterers in Britain and in the rest of Europe that can trace the origin of any pork directly to a farm that is unaffected by contaminated feed are able to continue selling their products.

The FSA statement followed re-assurances from the European Food Safety Authority and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland following this week’s scare.

“In the Republic of Ireland, pork will carry a special label. Any pork on British shelves will have been approved for sale, whether it carries a special label or not.

“Products like pizza, sandwiches and meat sauces that contain less than 20% of Irish pork do not have to be tested or withdrawn from sale,” it said.

Bord Bia is meanwhile continuing with its major communications programme for Irish meat in both the Irish and international markets following last weekend’s recall of Irish pork and bacon.

Chief executive Aidan Cotter said its immediate priority is to help restore consumer confidence in the Irish market while ensuring that the industry’s international customer base is fully briefed on the high safety status of Irish meat.

It said qualitative research undertaken from Monday to Wednesday this week indicated that consumers were reassured by the swiftness of the response by the Irish authorities and appeared to rate the potential economic impact ahead of concerns over health and safety issues.

Bord Bia, which has distributed over three million labels to approved pig meat processors nationwide in the past 24 hours, said it was delighted with the positive response from both the trade and consumers.

Ireland market manager, Teresa Brophy, said the new label has reassured consumers on the safety of the product and retailers have reported a significant demand for approved Irish product.

Bord Bia confirmed, however, that some outlets for Irish pig meat outside of the European Union have suspended trade, including Russia, Japan and China, which account for 10% of Irish pig meat exports.

It said the restoration of market access in these instances will be a major priority for Bord Bia, working with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Irish embassies in the affected markets.

Bord Bia said the situation on the European beef markets, the destination for virtually all of Ireland’s beef exports, is one of general stability.

In Britain, which accounts for over half of total exports, trade is continuing as normal. A similar situation prevails across most Continental EU markets, including the key French and Dutch, as well as the Spanish and Scandinavian, markets.

Brendan Smith and Michelle Gildernew, the respective agriculture ministers south and north, met yesterday and discussed the events of the past week.

In a statement, they said they agreed the prompt actions of the Irish authorities ensured that new product is back on the shop shelves.