Vol. 553 No. 4
115 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to reports of relabelling of poultry or poultry products here which were subsequently sold as Irish produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14206/02]
The reports to which the Deputy is referring concern a recent investigation, carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, on chicken fillets imported into Ireland from the Netherlands. This investigation found that a high proportion of the chicken fillets analysed contained ingredients that were not disclosed or accurately stated on the products' labelling. It is not illegal to process chicken breasts by adding water and other ingredients as long as these ingredients are approved and clearly stated on the label of pre-packed products. The FSAI informed the Dutch authorities and the European Commission of its findings and detailed investigations are ongoing.
With regard to the broader issue of origin labelling, in accordance with our trade obligations as a member of the EU and the WTO, Ireland imports an extensive range of meat and meat products from other EU member states and beyond. All products placed on the market, including poultry, must comply with EU and national labelling laws. The function of the labelling regulations is to ensure that purchasers are informed of the properties, ingredients, nature and characteristics of the food they buy. The information contained in food labels should be clear, unambiguous and should not make misleading and false claims. The general food labelling regulations for pre-packaged foodstuffs, Council Directive 2000/13/EC, come under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and are enforced by the FSAI through the environmental health services of the health boards.
My Department will continue to work closely with the FSAI to ensure compliance with existing regulations and also to draw attention at EU level to any deficiencies identified in EU food labelling regulations.
