The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, yesterday expressed concern at the quality of food products being imported into the EU and the possibility that they could spread disease to Irish livestock.

"In the last 18 months, there have been two outbreaks of classical exotic diseases in Britain, mainly classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease," he said.

"In both cases, the causative agent was food imported from outside the European Union. I want to call on the EU veterinary authorities to ensure far stricter controls at airports and at ports, to safeguard livestock and the food industries of member-states," he said.

The Minister was speaking at the launch of An Bord Bia's "Feile Bia", set up to encourage caterers to use products from Quality Assurance Schemes and to assist consumers to identify caterers using quality Irish food.

The catering sector here is being encouraged to use Irish food and to sign the Feile Bia charter, through which it would receive certification.

Bord Bia's chief executive, Mr Michael Duffy, said 1,800 restaurants and hotels were being invited to take part.

The president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Tom Parlon, said research had shown many Irish consumers assumed the food in outlets was Irish.