The 2024 National Potato Conference marked 11 months of operation for the new Office of the Food Regulator.
As delegates were informed, the new body is fast developing a fundamentally important relationship with the entire gamut of organisations that make up Ireland’s farming, food processing and retail sectors.
The Office of the Food Regulator was established to carry out two core functions. These are to: provide protection for food suppliers against unfair trading practices, while also promoting fairness and transparency within the entire agri food chain.
Aidan Kelly from the Food Regulator’s Office addressed the 2024 national potato conference. He confirmed that the organisation had just secured its first successful court conviction for a breach of unfair trading practices.
This followed a court case against Asba Meats, based at Shannon in Co. Clare. The court ruled against the meat processor following the non-payment for cattle delivered to the slaughter plant by a west of Ireland farmer.
Kelly went on to confirm that Regulator’s Office staff had met with representatives from 100 agri food and retail stakeholder bodies since December of last year.
“All of these organisations are very aware of the Regulator’s office and the role that we play.
“In terms of specific investigations that we plan to carry out, the table egg industry was chosen as our first target sector,” he said.
According to Kelly, this “was because most of the eggs produced in Ireland are destined for a local retail shelf within a fortnight of being laid”.
“This is in total contrast to the operation of the dairy or beef sectors, where there is a very complex product development trail,” he added.
An egg industry report was published by the office of the Food Regulator in July of this year. However, it was based only on information that was available within the public domain at that time.
According to Kelly, specific information requested of three retailers was not supplied. This has led to the Office of the Food Regulator asking the government for additional powers, compelling the provision of price and market information from all agri food and retail organisations.
Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president, Francie Gorman, also addressed the potato conference. He fully endorsed the need for the Food Regulator to secure the additional powers that had been requested.
Courtesy of his concluders remarks, Kelly encouraged anyone with a complaint linked to a  perceived unfair trading practice to contact the office to the Food Regulator.
“All queries will be dealt with on a totally confidential basis,” he said.