Vol. 466 No. 5
87 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, that has been made in involving small food producers and their representative organisations in drawing up codes of practice as envisaged under the new EU food hygiene directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11894/96]
Limerick East): Article 5 of Council Directive 93/43/EEC on the hygiene of foodstuffs provides for the development of guides to good hygiene practice which may be used voluntarily by food businesses as a guide to compliance with the directive. Member states are obliged to encourage the development of these guides, but it is worthwhile to note that such guides must be developed primarily by the food business sectors, albeit together with interested parties and in consultation with the authorities.
My Department has actively and financially encourged the development of such guides. Two guides have been completed, one for the catering sector and another for the beverage manufacturing industry. Two more are under development, under the aegis of the National Standards Authority of Ireland, one for the food processing industry and another for the retail sector. The guide for the catering sector has been published in the form of a national standard — I.S. 340. It is envisaged that the guides for the food processing industry, now at final draft stage, and the retail sector will also be published in this form.
