Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

149. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of feedstuff samples taken by his Department at animal feed mills to date in 2025 ; the number of samples tested in the same period that were outside the required standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52251/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The focus of feed legislation is to ensure that feedingstuffs do not endanger food safety, do not pose a risk to animal health or the environment, meet the minimum standards prescribed, are accurately labelled, and are fully traceable. Feedingstuffs controls are implemented through inspections and sampling at all stages of the feed chain, including importation, storage, manufacture, transport and use at farm level.

In 2025 to date, 1,031 samples were taken to verify compliance with relevant legislation and circa 10,000 individual tests were carried out on these samples, for various compositional and contaminant analysis, for example, protein and ash content, undesirable substances, etc.

Out of these c. 10,000 tests performed, 50 out of tolerances were detected (0.005%) and my Department has proactively followed up on these out of tolerances with the companies concerned.