A POSSIBLE change of colour from green to blue of the text used in the Bord Bia Quality Assurance label for use on Northern Ireland food products is causing diplomatic heat on both sides of the Border.
The issue, which has led to charges of Northern Ireland food being discriminated against in the Republic, has been discussed at the North-South Ministerial conference and rejected by An Bord Bia.
It is understood the issue was raised again by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment Arlene Foster, who contacted the office of the Taoiseach to voice complaints on cross-Border trading.
Northern Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson also claimed that Union Jack stickers were being put on Northern products in a number of retail food outlets throughout the Republic.
A Bord Bia spokeswoman said that in response to consumer complaints and queries, it had been conducting market research into the use of the quality assured mark which covers production on the whole of the island.
She said Northern Ireland producers were entitled to use the QA mark under EU regulations and had paid for the audits which were carried out to allow its use.
The existing label carried a shamrock logo inside a “Q” mark with green text which says “Origin Ireland” with a Tricolour underneath for produce of the Republic and “Origin Northern Ireland” for Northern Ireland-produced food, with no flag underneath.
The spokeswoman said consumers had been complaining they could not easily determine the precise origin of items produced on the island of Ireland. Because of this, a number of new designs, including one using blue rather than green text, had been drafted and put up on the Bord Bia website as possible alternatives.
“The board denied there was any element of protectionism as had been alleged by Mr Nicholson who had said the island of Ireland had traditionally been a single market for agri-food produce.
“Moreover,” he added, “the food industry in the Republic of Ireland exports 70 per cent plus of its output to other countries, including the UK.”
Irish Farmers Association president John Bryan rejected a further claim by Mr Nicholson that it was breaking the spirit and the letter of EU single market regulations with a relentless campaign against food imports from the North and Britain. He said there was a very healthy trade from the North to the Republic, with almost €1 billion in imports into the Republic, with a significant proportion of that food-related.
“For example, Northern dairy producers have secured 25 per cent of the liquid milk market in the Republic,” Mr Bryan added, “and, across food commodities such as poultry, Northern processors enjoy significant market share here.”