asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the recent survey by the Consumers' Association of Ireland which found that some burgers on sale in shops in this country contained as little as 44 per cent apparent lean meat, and that some others contained as much as 33 per cent fat; if he will introduce official minimum standards for such products; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Composition of Meatburgers.
10.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Industry and Commerce, are currently examining the possibility of requiring manufacturers to provide additional information on the compositional labelling of burgers.
In addition, I have asked the National Standards Authority of Ireland to draw up standards for pork sausages. This work is well advanced and will be available to me very shortly. I assure the Deputies that this matter will be dealt with in the very near future.
The Minister has stated he will have a report and will be drawing up some regulations. Is he aware of the report of the Consumers' Association of Ireland on the very low meat content, which varies from retail outlet to retail outlet? If this is so, will be make a regulation governing the product since the people who supply the home retail outlets have to meet certain standards for export?
Yes, I can assure the Deputy on this matter. There are a number of points about it: (1) the image of Irish food, which I am very concerned about; (2) the less well-off sections of our community depend on these products to a great extent and I am concerned that these products would be of the highest nutritional value. I am familiar with the report in question and in the meantime I have asked the manufacturers themselves on a voluntary basis to put much more detailed information on food products, because from a competitive point of view it would be in the interests of the industry to put the most comprehensive nutritional and compositional basis for their products on the leaflet itself.
Would the Minister agree that the hamburger market is developing quickly — it seems to give good value for money, it is selling at very competitive prices and uses now a wide variety of meats, turkey etc? It would be unacceptable if one group were selling an article on the market with a high fat content when we know that the bulk of it is of superior quality. The monitoring of that would be very important in future at individual level, with processors and within the Department.
I agree totally with the Deputy that this is a growing market. Fast food generally is a growth area and it is important to have compositional quality up to very high standards.
Would the Minister agree that investigative action is necessary as a result of the publication of the report of the Consumers' Association of Ireland? Having regard to the fact that modern technology and mechanisation bring to almost anybody the possibility of manufacturing hamburgers or sausages at present, does the Minister envisage the introduction of regulations whereby more rigid controls could be imposed so as to have absolute control within his Department of all such manufacturing outlets in order to guarantee minimum standards?
Yes. In April, immediately on reading the report, I took a personal interest and asked the National Standards Authority to draw up this report for me, which I am told I should have in the near future. The Abattoirs Bill will, of course, ensure that the processing and manufacture of these products will be up to the very highest standard available to consumers anywhere.