Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2004
174 Mr. Gregory asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the procedures followed in cases in which ingredients in food products have been prohibited or withdrawn, whereby the food products containing such ingredients are removed from sale; the details of the monitoring that takes place to ensure that all food products containing proscribed ingredients have been removed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30976/04]
View answer175 Mr. Gregory asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if an ingredient (details supplied) is prohibited from food products in this State; and if so, the steps that have been taken to ensure that food products containing it are no longer on sale to consumers here. [30977/04]
View answerI propose to take QuestionsNos. 174 and 175 together.
In the course of normal trade, food products may be recalled or withdrawn from the market from time to time for a variety of reasons. Usually, the manufacturer or distributor will make arrangements to notify purchasers and, where appropriate, will also notify the authorities. Notices of recalls or withdrawals are placed at the point of sale or in the press.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI, is the national contact point for the EU-wide rapid alert system for food and feed. Through this system, member states notify each other when a food product poses, or where there is reason to believe, may pose a danger to consumers. The FSAI examines all notifications and, where appropriate, issues a notice, known as a food alert, to official agencies engaged in food safety and to industry and consumer organisations. Food alerts are issued promptly by email, fax and SMS text message and details are also published on the FSAI website. In serious cases press releases are issued.
Food alerts contain detailed information, including, where necessary, instructions to environmental health officers for the monitoring of recalls and/or the taking of samples to be analysed by the official food control laboratories. Monitoring continues until the issue is resolved. In addition, ongoing random testing may be included in the annual food surveillance and testing programme agreed between the FSAI and the official agencies.
Section 54 of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998 allows the FSAI and the health boards to issue a prohibition order where activities, including the storage or distribution of food involve, or are likely to involve, a serious risk to public health. A prohibition order is, in effect, an order to withdraw food from sale. The FSAI publishes details of such orders on its website.
Information shared through the rapid alert system can lead to the early identification of contamination problems. In such cases the Commission and the member states act together to deal with the matter. In many cases legislation to restrict or prohibit particular foods containing excess contaminant levels has been introduced by the Commission. Recent examples include aflatoxin contamination of peanuts from Egypt and of pistachio nuts from Iran. Member states are obliged to undertake such monitoring and testing as set down in the relevant EU decision.
Another more recent example concerns the detection of the dye Sudan Red 1 in hot chilli products from India. The initial information was sent to the European Commission by France. Following detailed consideration, two Commission decisions were issued prohibiting the placing on the market of products found to contain Sudan Red 1. In Ireland, national legislation giving effect to these decisions was introduced by my predecessor as Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Micheál Martin.
I am satisfied that arrangements in place in this country provide a very high level of protection for consumers and that the procedures and systems for dealing with such matters, at national and European level, are kept under constant review.
From January 2005, food businesses will be legally obliged under Regulation (EC) No. 178-2002 to have systems and procedures in place to handle product withdrawals and recalls effectively. Where a company considers that food imported, produced, processed, manufactured or distributed is not in compliance with the food safety requirements, it will be required to initiate procedures for the immediate withdrawal and/or recall of the food in question from the market. The company must also, in certain circumstances, inform the competent authorities of the actions taken to prevent risks to consumers. To assist businesses the FSAI has published a guidance note on product recall and traceability.
