Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2010
697 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to take action regarding the description and labelling of Northern Ireland produced food at a supermarket (details supplied) as Irish, in order to give the impression to the consumer that the food is produced here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12611/10]
View answerThe Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Responsibility for the enforcement of this legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (F.S.A.I.). This is done through service contracts with other relevant agencies, including the Health Service Executive, the Local Authority Veterinary Service and my Department.
Under the general labelling Directive (2000/13/EC), the place of origin of the foodstuff must be given if its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree. Any evidence of contravention of this requirement should be brought to the attention of the F.S.A.I.
