Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 November 2020
380. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the technical manner in which grass-fed standard is assured; the way in which the matter is managed by his Department or a body under its aegis; the details of such inspections; if such inspections are carried out as part of a broader regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35965/20]
View answerThe Bord Bia Grass Fed Beef and Dairy Standards have been developed by Bord Bia following consultation with my Department, Teagasc, farmers and processors. The Standards were validated by the Irish National Accreditation Board under the Bord Bia ISO17065 schedule and approved by the EU Commission under the Technical Directive 2015/1535.
The approved Standards largely utilise existing feeding and housing data recorded as requirements of the Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) and Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) and confirmed through the current Bord Bia farm audit system.
The Grass Fed Standards also set out requirements for the processing industry for certification under the Standards. Compliance audits are also conducted at processor level.
The Standards are publicly available on Bord Bia’s website, www.bordbia.ie.
