The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has just launched its new strategy for 2016-2018.

The strategy outlines the authority’s objectives and goals for the next two years, while also protecting consumers and raising food standards.

The organisation wants to “ensure through regulation and collaboration that food produced here is to the highest possible standards” for both the domestic market in Ireland the growing export industry.

This new strategy is the first action plan announced since the 2013 horse meat scandal, and also the first plan announced under new chief executive Pamela Byrne.

Aims and objectives

The programme outlines five objectives that the authority wants to achieve in order to create a culture of excellence in the food industry:

  • Outlining a framework which will strive for a world-class control system, with the consumer as the main priority.
  • Developing and building on relations with stakeholders in Europe and worldwide to influence food policy.
  • Promoting Ireland as a leading producer of safe and trusted food.
  • Building on the authority’s current culture and integrity.
  • Conforming to a more digital approach to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
  • We will continue to work in partnerships both in Ireland and abroad to reach strategic goals and promote Ireland as a leader in food excellence

    Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, FSAI CEO Pamela Byrne said the authority will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including consumers, farmers, the Department of Agriculture, and the Health Service Executive.

    “We will continue to work in partnerships both in Ireland and abroad to reach strategic goals and promote Ireland as a leader in food excellence. Our focus is on protecting consumers.”

    During the recent angel dust case in Co Monaghan, the FSAI worked alongside the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to assess the safety of the meat that had entered the food chain. The FSAI was alerted to the case by the Department and carried out an assessment to determine if there was a risk to human health.

    Improving the sector

    Speaking following the announcement of the new strategy, UCD lecturer in public health Patrick Wall welcomed the programme and stressed that consumers must understand that regulations are not there to annoy, but to improve and protect the sector.

    He added that due to advancements in media, a brand can be “destroyed in just 24 hours”.

    “Social media can undermine an entire globally distributed brand in such a short space of time. There is so much global competition between nations, countries want to ruin other states in order to get ahead in the game.”

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