Fergus O'Dowd
Question:40 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his plans to introduce a green label for Irish food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25713/02]
Other Questions. - Food Safety Standards.
Consumers have constantly expressed a need for better information about the origin of foodstuffs. Information on origin is a key element in building consumer confidence in a food. An Agreed Programme for Government undertakes to seek to improve the level of information available to consumers about the origins of food in this country through initiatives such as a distinctive green label for Irish food.
We are in the process of giving due consideration to how this might be achieved. The food labelling group, which I established earlier this year to examine issues surrounding food labelling in the context of consumer expectations and to come forward with recommendations, has completed its review and furnished a total of 21 recommendations yesterday. The group was in full agreement that consumers should be provided with information on origin, but the manner in which this should be done has yet to be developed.
The labelling of origin of food products was one of the major issues discussed by the group. There was a consensus among all group members that consumers were entitled to information on the origin of food products. However, the best approach to labelling origin has yet to be determined. The group felt that not enough specific research had been carried out to enable it to draw firm conclusions on consumers' wishes in this area. The group recommended that further research on consumers' expectations on the labelling of origin be carried out. In general, it was the view of the group that the need for consumers to know the origin of a food was linked to the perceived safety of the food. The group has made a number of recommendations on providing information on the origin of meat and meat products in the retail and food service sectors.
These recommendations will now be thoroughly examined by my Department, the State agencies and my colleagues in Government, as appropriate. I will make a response in the new year taking due regard of the possibilities for a label identifier for Irish food.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I hope that report will be published in the immediate future. Would the Minister of State consider going back to that group and putting in place the necessary research to come up with the conclusions that are necessary? If we move ahead with green labelling, would that have an impact on Irish exports? Would the Minister of State agree that there is concern here about local produce. We hear about Argentinean and Brazilian beef. Many consumers are concerned. I cannot say whether or not their concerns are justified. However, they would like to know where a product originates. They are eating beef in restaurants which they assume to be Irish when it is not. It is likewise with chickens. This is unacceptable. If I put petrol into my car or a product into my house I know what it is. We should know what we are eating and where it came from.
The report was launched yesterday. It is now a public document. I hope everybody will look at it. Anybody who wants to study the report and its recommendations can see it on the Department's website. We need to be mindful of Article 28 of the Treaty of Europe pertaining to restrictions on imports and so on when considering this report in the new year. We hope, now that the report has been published, that consumer research can be carried out after consultation. The consumer liaison panel, which made a request to the Minister to proceed with the establishment of the labelling group, has welcomed the report. We hope the consumer organisations, in co-operation with the Department, will be able to ensure that adequate research is done so that we know exactly what consumers want and how much information they require. We are satisfied that consumers are entitled to know the origin of the food they purchase, including packed and loose foods. We hope producers, manufacturers, processors, distributors and those involved in the retail and catering industries will take account of the report. We hope food labelling will have a heightened profile in Ireland and that we can show the rest of Europe how citizens should be treated and what information they should be given.
I hope the report will receive a positive response throughout the sector.
I welcome the publication of the report. It is long overdue.
I hope its recommendations will be implemented rapidly because the Irish consumer is being hoodwinked by labels which do not clearly state the origin of the food or many of its nutritional aspects. For example, a label which says a product is 93% fat free does not tell the consumer that it is 7% fat.
We also have sleight-of-hand labelling. For example, when a label says "Irish smoked bacon" or "smoked Irish bacon" does it mean the bacon or the smoke is Irish? One would need to be a combination of philosopher, lawyer and food scientist to figure out some labels. There is much labelling of this sort and it is intended to confuse and not to inform.
Can the Minister assure us that the recommendations of the report will be implemented rapidly?
I welcome the report but I am extremely frustrated by the extent of food importation into Ireland. There seems to be a laxity regarding where these imports finish up. Is the Minister satisfied that adequate controls are in place to ensure that products such as meat, poultry and bacon which come into the country directly or indirectly are not sold with an Irish label?
Is the Minister certain that products coming from other countries are produced to the same high standard demanded here? I am convinced that imported products are produced using hormones and other additives which we do not allow and which should not be allowed. Are our farmers and our food industry competing on a level playing field?
I agree with what Deputy Upton has said and it has been addressed in the report. The report is broken down into seven sections within the 21 recommendations. All of the recommendations will be addressed, including the recommendation that we replace the different agencies and Departments currently involved in this issue with a one-stop shop. This matter will be addressed in the new year.
I agree with Deputy Crawford that it would be wonderful if we lived in a utopia where we did not have to have any imports. We export 500,000 tonnes of beef and the available figures show that we import approximately 12% of our consumed food products. That is a very small proportion when one takes into account the huge success of products such as Dairygold, O'Brien Chocolates and Baileys Cream which are exported in massive volume. We must be careful not only that we give absolute assurance to Irish consumers but that we maintain and sustain the incentive for Irish products to be sold and consumed throughout the EU and further afield.
It is against that background that we must make our final decisions based on the recommendations of the report.
All we want is a level playing field.