Assurance given on beef derivatives

PRODUCTS with a minimal British beef derivative which are still on shop shelves are safe and should cause no public concern, according to the Minister of State for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Pat Rabbitte.

The Minister said the Government would fully implement the EU's blanket ban on the importation of British beef products or derivatives, with effect from last Wednesday. "As regards products with a minimal beef derivative on the shelves prior to the ban being implement, the scientific ad vice available to Government is that there ought to be no public concern about the safety of these products."

Mr Rabbitte yesterday announced the membership of an expert advisory group which will monitor the situation following the EU ban on British beef products.

The group comprises representatives of the relevant Government Departments, as well as those from consumers, suppliers band the grocery trade. It will be chaired by the Director of Consumer Affairs, Mr William Fagan.

Mr Rabbitte said he hoped the advisory group would inform the reporting of the BSE scare, some of which had been "frankly, off the wall." The group would provide as much clarity as possible on the implications of the EU ban.

There was no question of the Government publishing an exhaustive list of products with a British beef content, he added. "It would be virtually impossible to do that anyway because some companies are not going to tell you what's in their products for reasons of competitive advantage."

The Consumers' Association of Ireland welcomed the setting up of the group but repeated its call for the representation of consumers' interests in an agency separate from the Department of Agriculture or An Bord Bia.

Meanwhile, Power Supermarkets which includes the Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices chains, announced it had removed a further 26 products from its shelves yesterday, bringing the total to 52. From today, it will highlight a further 21 products which contain beef gelatine with a UK origin, but these will not be removed from sale.

Dunnes Stores said it was satisfied there was no risk from products with British beef derivatives still on the shelves.

The members of the expert advisory group are Mr William Fagan, Director of Consumer Affairs Ms Caroline Gill, chief executive, Consumers Association of Ireland Ms Brian O'Connor, assistant director of Consumer Affairs Mr Seamus Healy, assistant secretary, Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Mr Dermot McCarthy, principal officer, Department of Agriculture. Food and Forestry Ms Margaret Good, senior veterinary inspector, Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry Mr Paul Haran, assistant secretary, Department of Enterprise and Employment Mr Sean Murray, principal officer, Department of Enterprise and Employment Mr Niall Tierney, chief medical officer, Department of Health Dr Fergus Hill, chairman, Food Safety and Advisory Board and Public Analyst, Dublin Region, Eastern Health Board Mr Michael Campbell, director general, RGDATA Ms Ailish Forde, assistant director, Food Drink and Tobacco Federation, IBEC Mr Ken Rowlands, trading director, Quinnsworth Mr Kevin" Flynn, director, Musgraves Mr Kevin O'Sullivan, director, Roches Stores Ms Mary Daly, head of quality control, Dunnes Stores and Mr Damien Carolan, director, Superquinn.