Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 85: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will respond to reports that the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland were not adequately informed of the actions taken by his Department following the crisis surrounding dioxin in pig meat in December 2008. [36224/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

On 4 December my Department issued a Press Release to indicate that it was investigating in close collaboration with the F.S.A.I., the source of a contaminant in animal feed. This followed the disclosure of non dioxin like marker PCBs in pork fat. The F.S.A.I. contacted the Food Standards Agency in the U.K. about the matter that day. The first indication that Northern Ireland was implicated in receiving possibly contaminated feed was on the evening of Thursday 4th December 2008. On Friday 5th December my Department provided full details to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland.

When dioxins were identified on 6 December and the F.S.A.I. required a full recall of all Irish pork and bacon products from pigs slaughtered in Ireland since 1st September 2008 the information was immediately put in the public domain by way of a press announcement. The FSAI arranged to issue an alert notification on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to advise the EU Commission and all EU Member States. There was also direct contact between the FSAI and the Food Standards Agency in London and in Belfast that evening.

Question No. 86 answered with Question No. 49.

Question No. 87 answered with Question No. 30.