asked the Minister for Health if he intends to take any action in the matter of the quality of food products imported into this country, having regard to recent disclosures that 60 tonnes of such products imported into this country in the first four months of this year were deemed inedible; if these products were certified by the relevant Government Departments in the exporting countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers - Inedible Imported Foods.
11.
The food products to which the reports refer were imported and home-produced stocks voluntarily surrendered by various firms to the Eastern Health Board for safe disposal as they had become unfit for human consumption. These foods were not on sale at the time.
There is a well established arrangement under which firms who want to dispose of food products which, for one reason or another, have become unfit may contact the Eastern Health Board and the board in conjunction with Dublin County Council arranges for their deep burial under supervision at a council dumping site.
Will the Minister indicate the country of origin of these products and notwithstanding that these products have been voluntarily surrendered could he give any indication as to the age of the products concerned? Obviously the shelf life had already expired. Could the Minister give some indication whether these products had been cleared by the relevant Departments in the country of origin and would he indicate what Department?
I do not have the country of origin of the report referred to but the report itself was misleading in so far as it suggested that these foods were found to be unfit for human consumption by the Eastern Health Board, whereas they were brought to the attention of the Eastern Health Board as is the normal practice. The foods involved were 10.5 tonnes of tinned fruit and fruit juices, 27.29 tonnes of chocolates, 16.77 tonnes of margarine, 2.6 tonnes of gluten-free bread and 7 tonnes of fish and fish products. Food will deteriorate if left on the shelf and it is the normal procedure in the Dublin area to arrange for the disposal of such foods by deep burial in a council dump under the supervision of the environmental health officer, to prevent them from getting into the hands of people who might try to sell them.
Notwithstanding the fact that these food products were voluntarily surrendered, is there any possibility that there could be similar food products in the food chain which are close to their expiry date? Perhaps there is a need for further inspection by the health board and will the Minister indicate if there have been instances of that nature before?
The environmental health officers are always vigilant. Foods will deteriorate on the shelf. However, with the advent of the date stamp and expiry date after which people should not use foods, there is a protection for the customer so as to ensure that as far as possible food sold will be fit for human consumption.