Ahead of the inaugural World Food Safety Day on Friday (7 June), the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, and the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, have come together to launch a food safety information campaign aimed at consumers.
The campaign, which was launched in collaboration with agencies, industry, retailers, and farmers, aims to highlight the collaboration that is required from farm to fork to protect food safety.
“World Food Safety Day is a great opportunity to reflect on the world-class food safety systems that are in place in Ireland. These help to ensure that the food we produce is safe, authentic and traceable,” Minister Creed said.
“The high standards to which we hold ourselves in Ireland are recognised both by consumers here in Ireland and in the many countries worldwide in which Irish food and drinks products are consumed and enjoyed.”
Food Safety
The move is in line with the theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day, ‘Food Safety, everyone’s business’, which emphasises that all actors in the food chain, from farm to table, whether they produce, process, sell or prepare food, have a role in keeping it safe.
“My Department, the Department of Health, the FSAI, HSE and Local Authorities work tirelessly to control food safety risks along the food chain, through direct and indirect oversight, and also by fostering collaboration among stakeholders,” Creed continued.
“Promoting and safeguarding public health is a strategic priority for my Department, with over 600 staff members directly involved in food safety and food authenticity controls.”
Creed’s sentiments were agreed on by his Ministerial colleague, Simon Harris, who added that “Food safety is of paramount importance to the health and well-being of people in Ireland and further afield”.
Work Together
“A food supply that is adequate in quantity, quality, accessibility and safety is undoubtedly a prerequisite for achieving and maintaining the health of Ireland’s population,” Harris said.
“Whilst primary responsibility for food safety rests with food business operators, it is important that we all work together to create public confidence in the safety of our food,” he continued.
“Food safety awareness, enforcement, information, support and assistance is the task of many different players, and I would wish to pay tribute to the many who play such a vital role in providing the best food safety controls to protect consumers.”
Creed concluded by noting that this year’s campaign is directed at consumers, stating that “consumers play a significant role, both by taking appropriate precautions when preparing food and by ensuring that they keep themselves informed about the food they eat".
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
