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Agriculture Industry

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 March 2022

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Questions (238)

Matt Carthy

Question:

238. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the technical specifications that inform the traceability of input feed in food production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13179/22]

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Written answers

Ensuring the safety of feed is a critically important function of my Department. Regulation (EC) 178/2002 lays down the general principles and requirements for food and feed law and this Regulation defines traceability as the ability to trace and follow feed through all stages of production, processing and distribution.

Responsibility for ensuring compliance with this Regulation, other feed legislation, traceability requirements and, in particular, the safety of feed placed on the market rests with Feed Business Operators (FBOs).

To complement and support this principle, my Department is actively engaged in a comprehensive annual inspection programme at all levels of the feed chain to monitor the safe handling, production and use of animal feed. In this programme, the inspection, sampling and analysis of official feed samples are selected on the basis of a risk assessment and, in particular, on the basis of the experience gained from previous inspections, audits and analysis of samples.

The risk-based selection process aims to ensure that resources are targeted towards the higher risk operators, products and activities while including a random element to ensure that all operators, activities and products are considered.

The official control programme covers all FBOs, including those involved in import, transport, storage, manufacture, retail and final use of animal feeds. Verification of FBOs'  traceability systems is an important component of the official inspection programme.

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