Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which food labelling continues to be enforced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56264/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The labelling of prepackaged food is currently governed by Council Directive 2000/13/EC, transposed in 2002, with several amendments since. The principle underlying this Directive is that the purchaser must not be misled and it has helped to ensure that the consumer is provided with the information required to make healthy consumption choices.

Responsibility for the enforcement of food labelling legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and its official agents, which include the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Local Authorities (LAs) and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA).

The HSE follows up on all non-compliances with the food business operators to ensure future compliance. In the other official agencies, food labels are checked at production level as part of routine food controls. DAFM Egg and Poultry Inspectors verify compliance with labelling and the marketing standards for eggs and poultry from primary production through to retail.