NSAI issues guidelines to help charities fighting food poverty

One in eight people in Ireland is currently experiencing food poverty.

In a bid to help those tackling the issue, the National Standards Authority of Ireland is giving charities guidelines so they can ensure food is handled correctly.

The NSAI said that charities which provide food to needy families are in effect considered caterers and as a result need to make sure they stick to the protocols.

CEO Geraldine Larkin explains why charities need to adhere to standards.

"The local groups and charities that are involved in food distribution, they're deemed to be in the catering business, and they must comply with standards in food regulation," she said.

"So this standard that we have circulated enables the charities involved to comply with the standard and to continue the great work they do, safe in the knowledge that they are in abidance with the regulations."