Vol. 410 No. 4
37 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action which has been taken at departmental level to ensure a quality guarantee for Irish meat exports at production, abattoir and animal husbandry level, given the increasing demand among British and continental retailers for such guarantees; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
All meat exports must come from export approved premises which are under the supervision of veterinary officers of my Department. Meat must also bear a special EC health mark certifying its wholesomeness and that it meets the standards laid down in a number of EC Directives and Regulations.
There has been a growing recognition in the meat sector of the need to market Irish meat as a top quality product. I was therefore pleased to launch the CBF quality assurance scheme for beef last week. The scheme is the outcome of hard work by CBF, industry, producers and officials of my Department. The scheme will assist the promotion and marketing of prime Irish beef products by laying down strict quality oriented standards from the farm through processors right down to retail level.
