Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she intends to take following the recent case of imported animal feed contaminated with traces of bone to ensure that such an incident is not repeated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1797/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department acted in an efficient and effective manner in dealing with the determination that bone spicules were present in a consignment of maize gluten imported into this country last November. Officials within my Department were guided by the provisions of the contingency plan and a standard operating procedure for dealing with such cases.

While I cannot guarantee that such incidents will not occur again, I am satisfied that the controls operated by my Department are adequate to ensure that any contamination is detected at the earliest possible stage in the feed chain. My Department takes samples from all bulk consignments of imported animal feed. In the last two years samples, totalling approximately 7,000, were taken in over 1,600 imported consignments, in 90 manufacturing mills and on almost 2,000 farms. Traces of bone spicules were discovered in four of these cases and appropriate action was taken.