Ireland has acted well and quickly with its recall of its locally produced pork products due to contamination with cancer-causing dioxins, the European Commission said this morning.
"The Commission has the impression that the Irish authorities are taking the right measures so that the situation is managed timely and well for the moment," a Commission official said.
The State exported €368 million worth of pigmeat in 2007, half of it to Britain, according to industry body Food and Drink Industry Ireland.
"Ireland is calling back all the pigmeat from September 1st. That is our understanding," the Commission official said, adding that the Government notified Brussels of the problem yesterday.
"This is good practice in managing the crisis," he said.