Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 21 Feb 1990

Vol. 396 No. 1

Written Answers. - Irradiated Food.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

117 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health if the importation and sale of irradiated food is at present permitted; if commercial facilities to irradiate food are permitted; and the labelling requirements there are for irradiated food.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

Existing food controls do not specifically forbid or permit the importation or sale of irradiated foods. Under the general provisions of existing food legislation all imported foods must be fit for human consumption and all foods offered for sale must be of the nature, quality and substance demanded by the consumer and must be fit for human consumption.

Any commercial facility proposing to carry out food irradiation would require to be licensed by the Nuclear Energy Board. I understand that no licences to operate commercial food irradiation facilities have been granted by the board.

Under existing food labelling regulations, for which the Minister for Industry and Commerce has responsibility, the name under which a foodstuff is sold must be accompanied by particulars of any treatment which it has undergone in all cases where the omission of such information could create confusion in the mind of the purchaser.

Because of varying interpretations as to the extent to which this provision requires an indication of irradiation treatment, a Directive was adopted by the European Community in June 1989 which,inter alia, explicitly requires that any foodstuffs which has been treated with ionizing radiation must bear the words “irradiated” or “treated with ionizing radiation”. Member states are required to give effect to this Directive by June 1992.