Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 October 2020
299. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the response of his Department to the revelation that traces of the growth hormone zilpaterol were evident in some animal feeds available here, including any investigation commissioned by him; the efforts taken to ensure that this was an isolated incident and that this cannot happen again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30608/20]
View answerFollowing industry notification of an indicative positive test in some horse feed for a prohibited substance Zilpaterol, my Department immediately commenced an investigation into the incident, working closely with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, to address the matter.
A full traceability investigation of identified feed products and ingredients was completed by Department officials. Following laboratory analysis, a specific importation of molasses was found to have contained very low or trace levels of a beta agonist, Zilpaterol. My Department immediately instructed the import company to initiate a full recall of the contaminated molasses. All feed business operators in receipt of the contaminated molasses have been identified and advised to retain the product pending it's return to the import company.
Feedstuffs containing molasses from the affected batch were also sampled and sent for official analysis. Test results for these precautionary feed samples indicated that Zilpaterol levels were below the accredited range of the method of analysis. Based on these laboratory results of the levels of Zilpaterol and indicative risk assessments by relevant experts, there is no feed safety issue as a result of this contamination.
My Department carries out extensive sampling from food producing species at farm and primary processing/packing levels under the National Residue Control Plan (NRCP). Annually, through the plan, more than 900 samples are tested for Zilpaterol from bovine, ovine, porcine, poultry and equine species. In the past decade no positives have been identified or reported.
To ensure the continued integrity of the food chain targeted NRCP testing will be increased over the coming period to provide additional assurances with regards overall public health and food safety.
