Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the action he is taking to ensure that all chicken fillets are safe for human consumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18116/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring that foods marketed in Ireland are safe and compliance with relevant food safety legislation is the responsibility of the individual food businesses. Enforcing the legislation is the responsibility of the Food Safety authority of Ireland (FSAI), which delegates that activity to various official agencies under service contracts.

In accordance with its service contract with the FSAI, my Department currently supervises some 154 large throughput meat establishments, including nine poultry slaughtering establishments. It is responsible for the provision of ante and post mortem inspection checks, inspections of structural and operational hygiene standards, and controls on residues. The Department also checks imports of poultry from third countries through Border Inspection Posts.

From a food safety perspective, hygiene at each stage of the food chain is critically important. In relation to poultry meat , the FSAI has issued guidelines to retailers and consumers on hygienic handling, use by dates and other hygiene aspects, and my Department has issued guidelines to importers and distributors on labelling and use by dates, particularly in gas flushed packs. My Department will continue to work in close collaboration with the FSAI, to ensure that poultry and other meats comply with the relevant food safety and hygiene regulations.