I thank you, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to raise this issue. Many consumers will have been disturbed to discover from newspaper headlines during the past week that a recent survey revealed 11 out of 15 brands of food tested had at least one sample of bacterial content exceeding international limits. It is of particular concern that this would never have come to light if the consumers' association, a voluntary body surviving on a shoestring, had not had the opportunity, commissioned by the EC, to carry out the survey. The public have a right to know why the Minister and the officials of his Department did not carry out adequate monitoring, particularly in respect of food shown to contain harmful samples of bacteria. A total of 20 per cent of a particular unbranded food product revealed harmful bacteria associated with food poisoning.
Overall, the findings of this survey were disturbing for the Irish food industry. A total of 28 per cent of all chilled ready to eat products exceeded permissible levels in France, 300,000 parts of bacteria per gram. In the case of one product, 100 per cent of samples tested exceeded the French standard and in another 75 per cent exceeded that limit. It is particularly disturbing for consumers that one in five cases of unbranded products showed the presence of dangerous bacteria. However, it is reassuring that none of the familiar household food brands tested showed a presence of dangerous bacteria.
The survey also highlighted the inadequacy of nutritional information on some branded food products. The law states that people selling branded food products should specify the fat, meat and other content of the foods they are selling. It is disappointing that at least one company surveyed did not display such information on its products. Will the Minister inform the House if other companies fail to meet nutritional information requirements? At a time when consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious, many of the products surveyed contained a high fat content that would not be compatible with the recommendations of any health programme.
We must seriously consider the findings of this survey. Will the Minister give an undertaking that the inspectorate in his Department will carry out a more detailed and properly resourced study urgently so that recommendation can be made in key areas to reassure customers and restore our international reputation? Such recommendations should set out the standards which should apply in regard to bacteria content in food and state whether we should set a limit in the interest of quality production as is the case in France and the Netherlands. They should also specify the handling by distributors and retailers which must be observed to ensure quality standards are maintained throughout the shelf life of a product. We are all familiar with the "best before" date on products but the survey showed that some products failed to meet the quality standards required within that time. That may have been because the temperature of the chillers in which they were preserved was too low to preserve their quality. The Minister should tell the House the recommendations he intends to make to retailers and distributors in that regard. He should also state the inspection method he intends putting in place so that in the long term consumers can be assured of quality rather than being taken by surprise by newspaper headlines.
Associated with that we will have to consider seriously the need to invest in the industry to meet that problem. Can we ensure that Structural Funds available to support the food industry are set aside for this purpose? Consumers, particularly those in the European markets into which we are trying to direct our products, are becoming very discerning. Banner headlines proclaiming that Ireland has the worst record for bacteria content, double that of our nearest neighbour and 14 times that of the French, do not do our reputation any good. The survey was part of a European survey and the results will become available to our competitors, who will use it ruthlessly to try to gain advantage in the market. We cannot afford this sort of damage to our reputation.
The Irish food industry rightly prides itself on its quality, greenness and wholesome food products and we cannot risk damage to that reputation. We need regulations and stern enforcement from the Department to protect our reputation for the many producers who are penetrating the European markets.
The future for the food industry lies in adding value and in getting to the ultimate consumer a product with plenty of added value. That means penetrating the international "ready to eat" market. It is worrying that this survey of "ready to eat" food has shown Ireland wanting in this area. The industry and the producers have no option but to set their sights on beating the best in Europe.
I hope the Minister's reply will outline steps by which we can protect and enhance the reputation of Irish food at home and abroad. This industry already employs about 40,000 people but has the potential to employ many more if we get the balance right.
