Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which traceability standards are applied throughout the catering industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4207/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Responsibility for the enforcement of traceability legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and its official agents, which in the case of the catering industry is the Health Service Executive (HSE). Traceability of foodstuffs is covered by Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law which provides that food business operators (FBOs) should be able to identify from whom, and to whom, a product has been supplied. This requirement relies on the "one step back" - "one step forward" approach. The Regulation also requires that FBOs have systems and procedures in place that allow for this information to be made available to the competent authorities on request. Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 has been transposed into Irish Law by the European Communities (General Food Law) Regulations 2007 S.I. No. 747/2007. The inspection of catering premises is carried out by environmental health officers of the HSE and inspections would ordinarily examine the food safety management system and the traceability system in place in a food business.