Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 7

Written Answers. - Product Labelling.

David Stanton

Ceist:

62 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action, if any, she will take following the call from the Consumers Association of Ireland who allege that the use of labels which state that food is specially packed in Ireland is misleading and confusing to customers; her views on whether labelling on food products should clearly identify the country of origin of the merchandise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14819/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. T. Kitt):

There is, at this stage, quite a considerable body of largely EU-led food labelling rules, for which responsibility is spread over a number of Departments, having regard to their respective specific remits.

My Department is responsible for the European Communities (Labelling, Presentation and Advertising of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 92 of 2000). These regulations give effect to EU labelling rules of a general nature. The provisions apply to foodstuffs placed for sale on the Irish market, with the exception of foodstuffs pre-packaged on a retail premises for direct sale to a consumer to which many of the provisions do not apply. The rules are designed to inform and protect consumers in the EU by ensuring that they have the information necessary to make informed choices about the products which they purchase and that this information is provided in such a manner as to facilitate trade between member states.

The regulations require certain specific information to be provided on the labelling of pre-packaged foodstuffs, including the name of the product, the name or business name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller of the product established within the EU, the list of ingredients, the net quantity and the date of minimum durability. Origin marking is required only if the absence of such information would be likely to mislead the consumer to a material degree as to the true origin or provenance of the foodstuff, for example, through pictorial representations such as a map or a flag. It is important to note that origin in this context is taken to be the place in which the product last underwent a substantial change. It does not necessarily mean the country where the food was originally produced.

While there is no explicit prohibition on the provision of additional labelling information, such as a declaration that the food is packed in Ireland, under these general regulations, it would be an offence under existing domestic legislation for any such additional information to make false representations regarding the packing of the goods in Ireland. The Director of Consumer Affairs has the power to prosecute in this regard.