Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 315: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent to which she and her Department monitor the labelling of food and food products imported into this country with a view to ensuring that the labelling is authentic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13275/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Responsibility for enforcement of labelling legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) through its service contracts with my Department, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Health Services Executive, the Local Authorities and the National Consumer Agency. Breaches of food labelling legislation should be reported to the FSAI.

Food products of animal origin imported from an EU source must come from an approved food business establishment and be accompanied to its destination by a commercial document or a health certificate signed by an official veterinarian of the competent authority of the Member State of origin. In the case of importation from third countries they must originate in a country approved by the EU for trade in such products, have been produced in an approved establishment, be appropriately labelled and transported and must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate in accordance the models laid down by Community legislation.

All consignments from third countries must first be landed at a Border Inspection Post (BIP) operated by my Department that has been approved by the Food and Veterinary Office of the EU (FVO) and there undergo documentary, identity and physical checks. These latter are carried out at frequencies laid down in EU law. In Ireland BIPs approved for the processing imports of animal products are located at Dublin Port and Shannon Airport. The FVO carries out monitoring and inspection of each Member State's BIPs to ensure the conditions for import of animal products into Europe, provided under the harmonized legislation, are being correctly applied.

Once it has been established that imported animal product has met all the required conditions it is released for free circulation within the community. Copies of the BIP clearance document and the health certificate must accompany the consignment to its destination. Imports failing to comply with these veterinary control checks may be detained for further examination. If non-compliance is established they are returned to the exporting country or destroyed.