From farm to fork... where is the traceability now?

WHILE it was important in recent days to minimise the risk of human exposure to dioxins in pigmeat, the Government’s decision to withdraw all pork products was very heavy handed, indicating no coherent strategy for traceability.

Successive agriculture ministers have boasted about the Government’s efforts to promote traceability with a key emphasis on tracking food “from farm to fork”.

This oft-quoted slogan looks patently ridiculous now as perfectly safe Irish pork everywhere is being destroyed just before Christmas. Ever since a similar dioxin scare in Belgium in 1999, the EU has urged member states to take stronger action with regard to traceability. The EU’s approach is to protect public health during food scares while also encouraging member states to target food recall in such a way that it ensures minimal disruption of trade. While there have been suggestions that those losing money from this food scare should not be compensated, I feel this stance is not sustainable.