Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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185. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the fine of €16,000 imposed on a company (details supplied) for mislabelling the origin of beef products is an adequate response to the food safety and farmer welfare issues involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18569/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The FSAI is the body responsible for enforcement of regulations governing traceability, labelling and provision of food information to customers. The case referred to by the Deputy was prosecuted at Navan District Court following an investigation conducted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and Meath County Council.

It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specifics of the case as it is a matter for the bodies who brought this prosecution, and the penalties applied are a matter for the Courts.

Nonetheless a successful prosecution such as this shows that bodies responsible for the enforcement of labelling legislation are utilising the relevant legislative powers to enforce the law in this area. Customers have the right to assure themselves that the food they consume is labelled authentically and that the integrity of the supply chain has not been compromised.

It is imperative that food businesses ensure that they have robust traceability systems in place to check that the appropriate food safety systems and compliance with the law are assured. I assign the highest priority to this issue to ensure continued confidence in our agri-food industry, and my Department continues to work with all stakeholders to ensure the highest standards continue to be enforced across the sector.