Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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860. To ask the Minister for Health if she is concerned by the absence of public guidance from the FSAI regarding the impact of UK folic acid flour fortification from October 2025, despite this change being just three months away; and whether she will instruct the authority to immediately engage with industry to mitigate packaging and labelling compliance risks considering Northern Irish food producers have such mitigation measures provided for identical packaging and labelling regulation? [37722/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The FSAI is the central competent authority for the enforcement of food safety legislation in Ireland.

The FSAI has fully engaged with the Department of Health on the matter of the UK changes to fortification of flour and will be publishing a document to provide information to the public in relation to the upcoming changes.

This matter has arisen due to changes in UK legislation which UK industry has decided to implement ahead of the UK legislative date of application. As an EU Member State Ireland is obliged to implement EU law regarding labelling of fortified food to ensure consumers are not mislead regarding fortification of food.

The FSAI has engaged with the food industry for many months on this matter including through a number of food industry fora, in addition to responding directly to queries which are submitted through their advice line to provide clarity on the application of EU law on this matter. My Department along with the FSAI has also engaged with UK flour millers. The FSAI will continue to engage with industry through these channels on this matter.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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861. To ask the Minister for Health if she will urgently engage with food manufacturers, bakeries, and retailers to assess the impact of folic acid-fortified UK flour entering the Irish market from October 2025; and whether she will consider emergency support measures, given the extremely limited time now available for labelling compliance and packaging changes under EU Regulation 1169/2011 given that food manufacturers, bakeries, and retailers in Northern Ireland have some provisions from the competent authority for food labelling in Northern Ireland ? [37723/25]

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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862. To ask the Minister for Health if she has raised, or will raise urgently, the issue of mandatory folic acid fortification of UK flour with the European Commission or relevant EU working groups, with a view to coordinated guidance or flexibilities for member states reliant on UK flour imports. [37724/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 861 and 862 together.

I am aware of the recent legislative changes in the United Kingdom (UK) concerning the fortification of non-wholemeal flour with folic acid (FA). I am also informed that this may have a considerable impact on food businesses in Ireland due to the significant amount of flour and compound goods containing flour imported from the UK.

Officials from my Department have engaged with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Industry Representative bodies on this matter. These meetings have highlighted the impact that these changes will have on food business operators.

Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on the provision of food information for consumers, provides assurance that consumers are not mislead and ensures that public health is protected by requiring accurate and clear labelling on food.

My Department has contacted the EU Commission and requested a meeting with the responsible Unit to discuss the topic with a view to agreeing a pragmatic interim solution. A letter outlining the situation has also been sent to the Commission.

Introducing emergency support measures for businesses is not within the remit of the Department of Health and would be a matter for either the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.