Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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450. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the report published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland that showed an increase in the number of food alerts for 2016 which was the highest in a decade; the actions his department will take to tackle the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11944/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is responsible for the enforcement of food laws and the protection of consumers’ health and interests. It monitors food incidents – that is events when food or food contact materials may pose a risk to human health – with other official agencies with which it holds contracts. These include the Health Service Executive; the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority; and the National Standards Authority of Ireland.

Food business operators, when they are aware of foods posing such risks which are no longer under their control, are obliged by law to notify the FSAI or the other relevant official agencies. The central objective is to ensure that foods, food ingredients or food contact materials which pose a danger to health are identified, traced, removed from sale and that, where appropriate, the public and/or the relevant business are informed without delay.

The FSAI and the contracted official agencies have protocols in place to deal with food incidents. The identification of a food incident can arise for a number of reasons such as checks by a food inspector; a complaint from a consumer; the food business informing the FSAI that it has identified a potential risk with a particular food; laboratory results; or notifications from other Member States through the European Commission’s network – known as the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).

In 2016, the FSAI dealt with 554 food incidents which resulted in 67 food alerts and food allergen alerts being issued. The growth in incidents is the result of improving vigilance and co-operation on the part of the food control authorities within Ireland and the EU and a responsible attitude on the part of food business operators in informing the authorities of potential risks.

Managing food incidents and quickly informing all relevant stakeholders, including the public is vital. It is reassuring to know that Ireland has systems in place to identify, manage and deal with such food incidents and resulting food alerts when they arise.