Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 January 2013
214. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the checks that are carried out on imported pig meat; and if such imported meat can qualify to be labelled as of Irish origin. [3271/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the free movement of goods within the European Union provides that once goods (including pigmeat) are produced in an approved establishment in another Member State, then those goods are free to move without official checks to other member states. Each Member State is responsible for ensuring that approved food premises comply with EU regulations. My Department’s Veterinary Inspectors conduct audits on these approved premises in Ireland.
For pig products imported from outside the EU these must come from plants approved under the European Union veterinary inspection regime and having equivalent standards as that within the EU. Meat products entering the EU from a third country are subject to documentary, identity and (if considered necessary) physical checks to ensure compliance with the requirements. Pig meat imported into this country could only qualify to be labelled as Irish if it was processed (subject to substantial transformation) in Ireland. The Food Information for the Consumer Regulation (1169/2011/ EC) inter alia, provides for mandatory country of origin/place of provenance labelling. This Regulation extends mandatory origin/provenance labelling to pigmeat, sheepmeat and poultry etc. The Commission is currently conducting an impact assessment with detailed rules to be adopted in implementing acts by the end of this year. It is intended that the legislation will come into effect in 2014.
