Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2006
445 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the Food Safety Authority has the authority to inspect foodstuffs for chemical residues; if and how frequently it has exercised this power; if and how frequently it has exercised this power to inspect mushrooms. [37777/06]
View answerThe Food Safety Authority has service contracts with my Department, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, the Marine Institute, the Health Service Executive and 32 Local Authorities. These service contracts include the testing of various foodstuffs for a range of chemical residues, including pesticides, residues of animal remedies, marine bio-toxins and organic and inorganic contaminants.
The national chemical residue testing programmes include the annual National Residue Monitoring Programme for residues of animal remedies and the annual National Pesticide Monitoring Programme, for pesticide residues in various foods of animal and non-animal origin. FSAI also carries out independent surveys for specific chemical residues including dioxins, furans and PCBs. In all, over 30,000 foodstuffs will be inspected for the presence of chemical residues in 2006.
The foodstuffs inspected under the chemical residue testing programmes include mushrooms and other agricultural and horticultural produce. Residues analysed in mushrooms include pesticides, under the National Pesticide Monitoring Programme. The service contract with the Department of Agriculture and Food specifically encompasses the work carried by the Departments' Pesticide Control Service on the implementation of the National Pesticide Monitoring Programme.
This annual monitoring programme is risk based and is drawn up by the Pesticide Control Service in consultation with the FSAI. The types of factors that are taken into account each year in determining the programme include the incidences of residue breaches the previous year, the dietary importance of particular foods, the residue history of the pesticide and the analytical capacity of the laboratory. The programme for 2006 includes analysis of 1350 samples for pesticide residues with each sample analysed for up to 150 different pesticides. On the basis of the criteria outlined above 10 mushroom samples are to be tested in 2006 for 150 different pesticide residues or 1500 different analyses. Between 1994 and 2006 no illegal pesticide residues have been found in mushrooms sampled from the Irish market. 183 samples of mushrooms have been analysed for pesticide residues since 2000 and the results of these yearly monitoring programmes are published.
446 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has satisfied herself that An Bord Bia’s quality assurance scheme is a sufficiently rigorous mechanism for inspecting mushrooms and other foodstuffs for illegal chemical residues. [37778/06]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for An Bord Bia, it is not appropriate for me to comment.
447 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a company (details supplied) has been in receipt of awards from An Bord Bia between 2000 and 2006; and if the company’s produce was tested for pesticide residues by An Bord Bia during this time. [37779/06]
View answerAs this is an operational matter for An Bord Bia, it is not appropriate for me to comment.
448 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason her Department first claimed to a television station that an inspection of a company’s (details supplied) premises had been carried out on 24 October 2006, but in reply to Parliamentary Question Nos. 432 and 434 of 7 November 2006, said that, as there was no visible sign of activity at one of the premises, an inspection was not carried out. [37780/06]
View answerArising from allegations on the misuse of pesticides made in the media regarding the company in question, an inspector of my Department visited two sites of the company on the 24 October. One site was closed and not in operation and was not inspected. The other was inspected and no evidence of illegal use of plant protection products was detected.
On the 9 November the Department inspector re-visited the sites. On inspection one was again found not to be operational, and the other where six of the 18 production tunnels are operational was again inspected.
449 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her Department conducted chemical residue testing of mushrooms grown on the premises of a company (details supplied) since the claims of employees that illegal pesticides were sprayed on their produce were first aired on a radio station on 27 October 2006. [37781/06]
View answerArising from media allegations concerning the misuse of pesticides in mushroom production, an inspector of the Department of Agriculture and Food visited the company in question on the 24 October and 9 November to determine if any illegal plant products were present. Neither of these inspections detected the presence of illegal plant protection products at the site.
The company has currently six mushroom tunnels in production. Two samples of mushrooms from this production unit were sampled and analysed. No illegal residues of prochloraz or fluazinam, both named in the allegations made, were found in the mushrooms analysed. With regard to the presence of formaldehyde residues which was also named in allegations made, samples have been sent to a laboratory in Germany for analysis, the results of which will be available within two weeks.
450 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to a recent debate on the alleged addition of banned chemicals to mushrooms (details supplied); the investigation she proposes to take or has taken arising from the alleged incident; the findings of her investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37782/06]
View answerI am aware of the recent debate relating to the alleged misuse of chemicals on mushrooms.
My Department was informed by RTE of the identity of the company, on the 23 October. An inspector from my Department visited it on the 24 October and again on the 9 November to determine if any illegal plant products were present. Neither of these inspections detected the presence of illegal plant protection products at the site.
The company has currently six mushroom tunnels in production. Two samples of mushrooms from this production unit were sampled and analysed. No illegal residues of prochloraz or fluazinam, both chemicals named in the allegations made, were found in the mushrooms analysed. With regard to the presence of formaldehyde residues which was also named in allegations made, samples have been sent to a laboratory in Germany for analysis, the results of which will be available within two weeks.
