Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 80: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of and the approved establishments under the control of her Department which are permitted to remove mould from cheese and use that cheese in the manufacture of processed cheese; the amount of cheese that has its mould removed for these purposes; and the amount of processed cheese that is produced from such de-moulded cheese. [40535/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The removal of mould from cheese is not an activity for which a food business establishment requires specific approval. The purpose of the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2005, (S. I. No. 910 of 2005) under which milk processing establishments are approved by my Department, is to ensure that all food for human consumption is handled in a safe and hygienic manner at every stage of the production process. At present there are two approved establishments in the State which do not themselves produce cheese but have special facilities for removing mould growth before selling the product on for further food uses, including the production of processed cheese.