The Government must face up to the "awesome consequences of inaction" on food safety and unacceptable delay in giving the new Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) powers and resources, according to the chief executive of the Consumer Association.
Ms Caroline Gill said the setting up of the FSAI - announced a year ago with the transfer of food safety supervision from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Health - should by now be progressed further.
Irish consumers remain concerned about absence of information about food, Ms Gill told the conference hosted by the farm research body, Teagasc.
Food tests were not readily available and often a year old when published. This was typified by the decision of the Department of Agriculture last year to tell only producers about high levels of antibiotics in pork. The problem came into the public domain as a consequence of independent tests carried out by the Consumer Association. At best, a meat traceability scheme was in embryonic form. While numerous quality assurance schemes existed, a lot were motivated by sales rather than food safety. This only served to cause confusion and heightened consumer scepticism.
An inordinate amount of time was being spent on bovine TB eradication to the detriment of meat inspection, she said.
There was a very strong case for mandatory training of all food handlers, Ms Gill added. "Protection of consumer interests is not just good for Irish consumers but for the good name of Irish food."
Consumer interest in the past was seen by successive ministers for agriculture as "at best, secondary".
The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Dr Tom Moffatt, said the necessary legislation for the FSAI was expected in the next Dail term.
After concern was expressed about the absence of a national food-borne disease surveillance in Ireland, Dr Art Miller of the US Department of Agriculture said such a body was vital to ensuring the correct research on food safety. US statistics had prompted change, with most concern there now centred around the E coli/salmonella threat.