Written answers

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food

Food Safety Standards

10:00 pm

Photo of Kevin HumphreysKevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date on which he intends to introduce a statutory instrument to ban the sale of raw milk; his plans to conduct a regulatory impact assessment on such a ban with regard to its effects on gourmet food consumers and tourists, specialist ingredient suppliers and niche food markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37829/11]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and my Department's dairy science and veterinary experts have recommended that the sale of unpasteurised milk from all farm animals which is intended for direct human consumption should be prohibited. The most effective way to protect public health is to ensure that such milk is pasteurised. Pasteurisation is universally recognised as having been one of the greatest advances in public health and it is important that we do not create conditions in this country, by effectively opening up a new outlet for raw milk, which could undo some of that good.

Regulatory impact analysis is designed to assess the impact of new and different regulations and policy approaches. The proposed ban on the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption is not new. Sale of raw cows' milk was banned for many years (from 1997 until 2006) by my Department; and previously by most local authorities. The ban lapsed due to a change in EU legislation in 2006. In effect renewal of the ban will constitute a return to the status quo.

A public consultation process was held in 2008 in relation to the proposed extension of the ban to goats' and sheep milk. Seventeen submissions were received. The submissions were wide ranging and included requests to allow restricted sale of raw milk as well as a number of claims of perceived health benefits of drinking raw milk. All the submissions were carefully reviewed by my Department's experts in conjunction with the FSAI. They were satisfied that the claimed benefits from drinking raw milk did not outweigh strong advice concerning the known health risks associated with drinking raw milk. These include diseases such as TB, brucellosis, E. coli O157, Campylobacter and Salmonella. Illness associated with consumption of raw milk is thankfully rare, but this is precisely because of the fact that the vast bulk of liquid milk consumed in Ireland is pasteurised, partly due to the existence of the previous long-standing ban. International data show that outbreaks increase when the numbers consuming raw milk are allowed to increase.

Any food scare associated with the sale of raw Irish milk for direct human consumption could have major implications for our dairy industry. Ireland exports over €2bn worth of dairy products each year; and is the leading producer of infant formula with about 15% of the world market. The recent E. coli outbreak in Germany, resulting in 46 deaths, 782 cases of HUS (haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a serious kidney condition) and 3,128 known cases of VTEC, indicates the scale of possible risks associated with raw food.

I am advised by the FSAI that meaningful differences in nutritional value between pasteurised and unpasteurised milk have not been demonstrated. A number of artisan food producers are pasteurising raw whole milk and are licensed by my Department in this regard. These artisans are very successfully marketing liquid whole milk, ice cream, different flavoured yoghurts and artisan farmhouse cheeses; and clearly demonstrating that pasteurised whole milk can be used in the manufacture of safe high quality dairy products.

Regulation allowing sale of raw milk for direct human consumption, on a restricted basis, would be difficult and costly to implement. Most important however such regulation would still not eliminate the serious health risks. Even under the best conditions, raw milk can contain low levels of human pathogens that can cause serious illness or rapidly increase to harmful levels. Labelling as a precaution would be least effective with some of the most at-risk groups i.e. the young and the elderly.

In all the circumstances I am satisfied that a renewal of the ban on the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption is justified. The date for introduction of the required Statutory Instrument will be a matter for discussion with my colleague the Minister for Health, as it is intended that the S.I. will be introduced under the Health Act 1947.

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