A FOOD safety consultancy service was introduced yesterday by the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Pat Rabbitte. The service for producers, caterers and retailers is provided by the National Food Centre (NFC),
Director of the NFC, Dr Vivion Tarrant, said the centre had assembled the package to help the food industry by the introduction of quality and safety systems in food factories.
"Food safety is the biggest technological challenge facing us. The Irish food industry is the fastest growing of all the European food industries, growing six times faster than the EU average,
Dr Tarrant said the NFC will advise processors how to deal with customers: "When the manufacturer is supplying a retailer the retailer calls the tune. Because of the recent history of food poisoning, including E coli 0157 and the salmonella threat, all the retailers have become very demanding, looking for a transparent system of food quality.
The accepted framework is a system of Hazard Analyses at Critical Control Points, which required identification and assessment of all possible risks at every point in processing and handling and the introduction of controls, he said. "Hygiene auditing and surveillance is an integral part of any food safety control system. We can advise them how to meet the requirements with full back-up services.
Mr Rabbitte said the aim must be "prevention rather than cure". The service will be led by a highly qualified team.