“There can be no compromise on food safety and the integrity of the food chain. These are the primary building blocks of this department’s work.”
That was the message from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed during his department’s launch of the new Food Safety and Food Authenticity Strategy.
The strategy was unveiled today (July 12) to an audience of key stakeholders in the sector. Regulatory partners from Government and state bodies were also present.
Minister Creed explained: “We must be clear about our commitment to safety and public health. We must ensure that the outcomes have real impact and deliver maximum value for the consumer – both here and abroad.”
Dr. Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), welcomed the department’s strategy.
She outlined: “This is an important initiative that sets out a clear strategy to further protect consumer health within an ever-changing and innovative global supply system.
“This strategy also continues to support the FSAI’s regulatory position of seeking to deliver safe and trustworthy supplies for everyone.”
Minister Creed discussed the scope of the strategy in his concluding remarks, saying: “Our future plans for safety and authenticity are ambitious, but we should not fear the breadth of our ambition as we dedicate our resources to improvement.”