asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it was announced at the annual conference of the Environmental Health officers in Kilkenny that a five year survey produced evidence of more than 60 per cent of ice cream samples taken were contaminated by bacteria of an excremental origin; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers - Contaminated Ice Cream.
12.
I have seen a report on the survey of soft ice cream which was carried out in one county by health officers over a period of five years from 1983 to 1987 and revealed that 64 per cent of samples taken were contaminated by bacteria of excremental origin. I take a serious view of this finding.
Where contamination of this nature arise it is a result of poor standards of personal hygiene. The need for regular hand-washing by all those involved in the preparation and sale of the product cannot be over-emphasised. Since the survey was completed there has been increased co-operation between Environmental Health Officers and soft ice cream retailers in the county referred to with a view to improving hygiene standards through regular hand-washing and daily cleaning of ice cream machines.
This improvement has been given added impetus by the national Clean-watch campaign which I launched recently. The main aim of this campaign is to increase the level of awareness of the importance of good food hygiene among the workers in the food industry and the general public. As a major part of the effort local training courses are being offered to food workers in the various health board areas in association with environment health officers.
Were there any prosecutions following the report published by the health inspectors?
I do not know the specific cases involved. The question arose out of a report that appeared in one of the magazines — a report by an environmental health officer with the EHB.
How serious a threat to the health of the community does the Minister consider these cases are that have been highlighted by the health inspectors mentioned and raised in the question?
I take a particularly serious view of this report and any report where food hygiene is not up to a very high standard. As pointed out in the reply to the question, it highlights the need for vigilance and for an awareness of the importance of hand-washing and of keeping personal hygiene standards very high particularly among those who work in the food industry. The main thrust of the Cleanwatch campaign which the health promotion unit have prepared is oriented towards ensuring the maximum level of personal hygiene among food workers and towards creating an awareness among the general public that they should look for the highest level of food hygiene.
Does the Minister propose to amend the food regulations in order to strengthen the powers of food inspectors?
That is a separate question.
It is totally relevant.
The Chair decides these matters. Deputy Howlin.
It is a fundamental issue.
Because of the alarming level of contamination in this one county, will the Minister say if he has any plans to authorise or fund a nationwide sample to see if this was an exception or if that level of contamination applies throughout the country? Will the Minister provide resources to allow environmental health officers to monitor the situation. Clearly the number of environmental health officers available in each health board region is being reduced.
I do not accept that there is an insufficient number of environmental health officers to ensure that hygiene in regard to food products is kept at the highest possible level.
Will the Minister indicate what county was involved? Will the Minister indicate if the contaminated ice cream was produced through whipped ice cream machines? I expect that the block ice cream supplied by the ice cream manufacturing companies might not have been included in this survey. Were they also found to have distributed contaminated ice cream or is the problem solely related to whipped ice cream machines which can be lethal if not maintained in a hygienic condition?
The county was not referred to in the article. The report referred to whipped ice cream cones.
Does the Minister propose to control the ice cream vans that go around the countryside? There is a serious question mark over the hygiene in some of them. Will the new regulations cover those?
It is my intention to amend the food hygiene regulations. The ideal way forward is through the co-operation of the vendor and the customer in seeking the very highest standards of food hygiene. I appeal for support for the Cleanwatch campaign that is presently in train in the country.