In July 2002, the Minister for Agriculture and Food established an expert group under the chairmanship of Mr Ned Sullivan to examine issues surrounding food labelling in the context of consumer expectations about the food they buy and to come forward with recommendations by the end of the year. The members of the Food Labelling Group are given in Annex 1.
In the wake of a number of food scares which have undermined consumer confidence over the past decade every effort has been made by the authorities at national and EU level to ensure the integrity of the food supply and the health and safety of consumers. On top of these evelopments in food safety
effective labelling information enables consumers to exercise their rights in making choices about the food they buy.
Events this summer concerning certain imported meat products called into question the effectiveness of the legislation and its enforcement. The Minister for Agriculture and Food was determined to safeguard consumers against similar type of occurrences in the future. Feedback from the Department’s Consumer Liaison Panel, which was set up by the Minister for Agriculture and Food earlier this year, conveyed the level of concern of consumers at such activity. While this was the event which precipitated the need for prompt action, there have been ongoing concerns amongst consumers about the lack of information about the food they purchase in retail outlets, restaurants, and other catering establishments. Issues relating to ingredients, allergens and the origin of the food are examples.
Difficulties in understanding the information on a label and the way it is presented are also matters of concern. The former brings into focus our education policy on such an important life issue while the latter underlines the responsibilities of industry in its broadest sense. Government has also a responsibility in ensuring that the most efficient and effective policy and control arrangements are in place. The current administrative and enforcement systems have evolved over many years and it is now opportune to examine if these arrangements are in the best interests of food consumers and the industry at large.
It must be emphasised that labelling has important economic and trade implications. The additional costs incurred by labelling changes must be borne by one or more sectors in the food chain, including consumers, through higher food prices, while in the case of the food trade, existing import and export flows may also be affected.
