Food Legislation and Standards News Ireland

Food Safety Legislation & Standards – news & highlights June 2021

Did you know there are new rules on Transparency and Sustainability in the EU Food Safety System? [2019/1381]

“REGULATION (EU) 2019/1381 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 June 2019 on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain and amending Regulations (EC) No 178/2002, (EC) No 1829/2003, (EC) No 1831/2003, (EC) No 2065/2003, (EC) No 1935/2004, (EC) No 1331/2008, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) 2015/2283 and Directive 2001/18/EC”

To view the regulation please click on the link in the paragraph below.

According to EFSA :
new regulation on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain, which has been in application since 27 March 2021, strengthens the Authority’s ability to carry out its risk assessment functions in accordance with the highest transparency standards.

For the latest on Exporting Minced Meat and Meat Preparations to Great Britain (03/06/21)

“Current UK import requirements will preclude the export of fresh or chilled minced meat or meat preparations from the EU (including Ireland) to Great Britain from 1 October 2021. However, minced meat and meat preparations can be exported to Great Britain if frozen to -18oC and if they meet the other UK import requirements including……:”

Read more here…. UK Import Requirements

Is it time for yet another Food Safety Standard?

BRCGS Food Safety Standard Issue 9 is in the works. No release date as of yet however the consultation period for feedback ended 31st May 2021. 

Unfair Trading Practices & National Food Ombudsman

The UTP Directive (Directive (EU) 2019/633 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019) deals with unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain.

The Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive must be transposed into Irish law by 1 May 2021 and was subject to a previous public consultation in 2019.

DAFM are holding a Webinar on the Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Regulations and the National Food Ombudsman/Regulator, where the UK’s first-ever Groceries Code Adjudicator ChristineTacon CBE will be the guest speaker

Taking place this Friday (June 25) at 10:00a.m to 11:30a.m, the UK’s first Groceries Code Adjudicator, Christine Tacon CBE, will address the virtual event.

The webinar will provide information on the Unfair Trading Practices Regulations signed into law in April 2021 by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

A short preliminary overview of the submissions received to the recent consultation on the establishment of the office of National Food Ombudsman/Regulator will also be provided.

A key component of the Programme for Government (PFG) commits to:

Ensure fairness, equity, and transparency in the food chain by establishing a new authority called the National Food Ombudsman (NFO) to enforce the Unfair Trading Practices Directive. This new authority will enforce EU-wide rules on prohibited unfair trading practices in the food supply chain and will have powers to enforce this Directive, penalising those who breach regulations. The NFO will have a specific role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland.

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