asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in view of the concern in Great Britain and a number of other countries regarding the possibility of listeria contamination of some food products, especially soft cheeses, he intends to take any measures to prevent listeria contamination of Irish foodstuffs, in view of the damage that such contamination might do to Irish food exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Listeria Contamination.
98.
A monitoring system to ensure that cheese is not affected by listeria has been in place since the beginning of 1988 following an agreement at Community level to introduce such controls as a result of an outbreak of listeriosis in Switzerland which was apparently caused by cheese. The agreement includes a commitment to notify the other member states if listeria is discovered.
All domestically produced cheese, both manufacturing and farmhouse, has been periodically and randomly sampled and analysed by my Department. In addition, the Department of Health have been carrying out similar tests at the retail level, including tests on imported cheeses.
As a result of the concerns expressed in other countries and to allay the fears of consumers, the monitoring has been extended to other products susceptible to contamination by the bacterium.