Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Food Labelling

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2019

Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Ceisteanna (320)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

320. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if producers and retailers are required to indicate the country of origin and the country of packaging on products in supermarkets and shops; and if his Department checks such regulations are being observed. [42340/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In 2011, Regulation (EU) No.1169/2011 relating to Food Information for Consumers (FIC) came into effect.  This sets down mandatory information to be declared on the label of prepacked food sold in supermarkets, shops or elsewhere.  Country of origin labelling (COOL) or place of provenance are among the mandatory information to be provided.

In relation to COOL, the origin of a food is only required on food labels where its absence might mislead the consumer.  A consumer could be misled by symbols, graphics, flags or other wording declared on the label, suggesting that the food originates in one country when in fact it does not.

The FIC regulation also provided for the introduction of implementing legislation on the origin of meat.  This came into effect in April 2015 in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 1337/2013, which makes it mandatory to provide the country of origin or place of provenance on the labelling of fresh, chilled and frozen meat of pigs, sheep, goats and poultry.  The Member State or third country of rearing and slaughter of these meats must be provided.

Article 26(3) of Regulation (EU) No.1169/2011 also provides that where the country of origin or the place of provenance of a food is given and where it is not the same as that of its primary ingredient:

(a) The country of origin or place of provenance of the primary ingredient shall also be given; or

(b) The country of origin or place of provenance of the primary ingredient shall be indicated as being different to that of the food.

Additional rules to implement this measure were introduced in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/775, which comes into effect from 1 April 2020.

This new legislation means that any food label that currently refers to the origin of the final food, through words such as ‘Produce of Ireland’, or by graphical representation, e.g. flags or colour schemes on the label, will also have to give the origin of the primary ingredient, if it is of a different origin.  Primary ingredient is defined in the Regulation in Article 2(2)(q) as an ingredient or ingredients of a food that represents more than 50% of that food or which are usually associated with the name of the food by the consumer and for which in most cases a quantitative indication is required.

As regards fish, other specific rules are in place where information on the catchment area and species must be provided.  Additional rules cover the labelling origin of beef.

Furthermore, certain marketing standards are in place that require the origin of certain fruit, such as grapes and strawberries and certain vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes to be declared on the label.  A full list of these fruit and vegetables requiring a country of origin declaration is available at: https://www.fsai.ie/legislation/food_legislation/fruit_veg/specific_marketing_standards.html.

The FSAI has produced a range of guidance material to help support the food industry in meeting its legal obligations regarding the labelling of food.  This information is available at: www.fsai.ie/resources_publications.html by searching “labelling”.

Since 1999, responsibility for the enforcement of food legislation is vested in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).  Enforcement is contracted out to official agencies with which FSAI has service contracts, including the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, the Health Service Executive’s Environmental Health Service, Local Authorities and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.  These service contracts specify the food sectors to be supervised, the types of controls to be provided, including inspections and laboratory analysis.  The contracted agencies have responsibility for the implementation of labelling rules in the sectors and businesses which they supervise.

Barr
Roinn