Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 587: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will engage in discussion with the stakeholders regarding the proposed ban on raw milk; if he will develop a regulatory system of labelling for raw milk which will inform all customers of potential risks; the reason raw milk is to be banned when there are many foods with risks associated which are not banned, for example shellfish and eggs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22498/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The reason for maintaining a ban on the sale of raw milk for human consumption is to protect public health. A consultation process was held during 2008 to determine public views on the proposal to extend the ban to include goat and sheep milk. Seventeen responses were received. Neither my Department nor the Food Safety Authority of Ireland were convinced that the submissions received provided any justification to oppose the expert advice that the extended ban should be supported in legislation.

The proposed ban is based on strong advice from both food safety and public health professionals. There have been serious health issues associated with the drinking of raw milk in Ireland and in a number of other countries. In 2010 the Scientific Committee of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland published a report on the prevention of E. coli infection. One of the recommendations of that report was that the sale of raw milk be prohibited. I am satisfied that a ban on the sale of raw milk for human consumption is fully justified. I do not propose to ban the sale of cheese or other products manufactured from raw milk, as the same risk to public health does not arise. The FSAI is charged with assessing risks associated with other food products and my Department will consider any advice given by the relevant experts and appropriate action will be taken, if required, to deal with those risks.

Legislation required to allow the sale of raw milk on a restricted basis would be complicated and would impose significant extra cost on my Department in relation to oversight and enforcement. Failure to adequately oversee such high-risk business operations could result in serious national and international reputational risk to our important dairy industry. The prevalence of TB in herds in Ireland puts us in a different position to most other Member States in the EU where the disease has been eradicated. It is inappropriate that Ireland should adopt the same approach to the consumption of raw milk as countries that do not have the same difficulty with TB and therefore have no associated risk.

Article 10 (8) of EU Regulation 853 of 2004 provides that a Member State may maintain or establish national rules prohibiting or restricting the sale of raw milk or raw cream intended for direct human consumption. The introduction of S.I. No. 910 of 2005 to implement the EU Food and Feed Hygiene Regulations in 2006 had the effect of removing the existing legal basis for the prohibition of the sale of raw cows milk for direct human consumption under S.I. No. 9 of 1996. Section 54 of the Health Act of 1947 (as amended by Section 25 of the Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006) has been identified as the appropriate primary legislation for this purpose and the Department of Health has agreed to promote a Statutory Instrument under that Act on behalf of my Department. The latest indicative timeframe for the introduction of the S.I. is end 2011, which includes allowance for a 3-month EU notification period.