Fonterra is back in the headlines this week as it battles to reassure customers of the safety of its infant formula product. Prof Patrick Wall goes into detail on the latest food scare on page 21.

It is not for Ireland to gloat in the wake of such developments but instead to learn. Having toured the €180m Glanbia plant in Belview last week, it is clear that a food safety culture has taken centre stage in the development – human intervention across the entire drying process is limited to the driver off-loading the raw milk and the forklift operator removing the finished product.

As we strive to grow our presence in premium global markets, it is critical that no one sector of the industry can undermine the integrity of our product. The Department of Agriculture has a key role in this regard. Standards must be enforced not only in the large-scale high-profile businesses but across the entire sector.

Meanwhile on page 24, Eoin Lowry shows the importance of having a diverse market portfolio. The Finish co-op Valio is really suffering from the Russian import restrictions having been dependent on this market for almost 50% of its exports in 2013.