Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 April 2024
184. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health to outline the current requirements for companies to label certain food products as choking hazards for children under five years; if his Department has considered introducing standardised labelling requirements for such products; and if his Department has engagement with the EU on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15769/24]
View answerThere is no specific piece of legislation in European food law governing the labelling of foodstuffs for specific population groups in relation to choking hazards, nor has this matter been discussed at EU level.
Choking caused by consuming a food product has the potential to cause an adverse health effect, and as such Regulation (EC) 178/2002, Article 14 on ‘Food safety requirements’ , states that:
1. Food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe.
2. Food shall be deemed to be unsafe if it is considered to be (a) injurious to health or (b) unfit for human consumption.
3. In determining whether any food is unsafe, regard shall be had: […] (b) to the information provided to the consumer, including information on the label, or other information generally available to the consumer concerning the avoidance of specific adverse health effects from a particular food or category of foods.
In Ireland, when a possible choking risk is identified related to food, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) will take action under Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (unsafe food) where deemed necessary to protect consumers.
The most recent alert FSAI issued for a choking hazard was published on 12th October 2023. Details of the incident are as follows:
• The alert was issued following a Rapid Alert System for Food & Feed (webgate.ec.europa.eu/irasff/notification/view/637995) notification from The Netherlands, who initiated a product recall on the basis of Article 14 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002.
• The information provided by The Netherlands stated that ‘The rolling ball of the candy may come loose, posing a choking hazard’.
• 5.04 kgs of the product were distributed to two Irish food businesses so the risk management decision was that a food alert be issued to protect consumer health.
In addition, the HSE provides advice, on what foods are not safe for any child under the age of five, due to food chocking risks. This advice has been widely shared via various appropriate media platforms and is assessable on the HSE's webpage.
www2.hse.ie/babies-children/child-safety/choking-strangulation-suffocation/food-choking-risks/
