Horsemeat scandal top of agenda at EU meetings in Meath

A HIGH-LEVEL European Commission consumers’ watchdog will be meeting in Ireland with the horsemeat  contamination scandal top of its food safety agenda, Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson told the European Parliament on Tuesday.

She said that there needs to be a stronger onus on supermarkets in the EU to take responsibility for their supply chain and the Food & Veterinary Office, based in Grange, County Meath, will be pursuing this. The FVO is part of the Health and Consumers Directorate-General.

“As Food & Veterinary Office (FVO) contact person for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee,” Martina said, “I look forward to participating in a number of meetings of the FVO to take place in Grange and the horsemeat contamination issue will be top of our agenda.”

She said that lawmakers have a responsibility to make sure any criminal activity in the food supply chain is made as difficult as possible.

She added that regions such as the North or Ireland should be allowed to identify as Irish if producers so wish and Scottish beef should retain its ‘Scottish’ label “which would aid traceability in general and help prevent scandals like this from recurring”.