Seanad debates

Thursday, 16 February 2012

Photo of Michael MullinsMichael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I congratulate Senators Feargal Quinn and Mary Ann O'Brien on the Private Members' motion they introduced last night which enabled a fantastic discussion to take place with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, on the food industry and the issue of food waste. I also compliment the Minister on being willing to accommodate the two Senators by accepting most of the motion's contents and coming to arrangement whereby the debate on the motion was adjourned to enable further discussions to take place. The debate facilitated a comprehensive discussion of food and food labelling and, in particular, food waste. It is highly appropriate to discuss the issue of food waste at a time when so many people throughout the world do not have enough to eat.

I raise an issue brought to my attention over Christmas concerning a practice being engaged in by a large multiple which I consider to have contributed to the production of a great deal of food waste. The multiple in question was forcing its suppliers to overstock the supermarkets and put more products on the shelves than would be sold. This resulted in much of the stock being left on the shelves over the Christmas period and because the supplier was forced to take back that product-----

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