Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
466. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures in place to ensure traceability for Brazilian beef imports under EU and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine licence conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13670/26]
View answerThe Food Safety Authority of Ireland is the central competent authority maintaining responsibility for the food chain through service contracts with a number of government agencies and departments.
Recording of consignments of meat imports into Ireland is maintained on the EU TRACEs database and is supervised in Ireland by my Department.
Traceability in the food chain is provided for under Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 which requires that all food and feed businesses in the EU implement a traceability system based on the food business operators responsibility to maintain records of ‘one step forward and one step back’ which ensures that they can identify immediate suppliers and customers. This requirement is applicable to all stages of production with some exceptions. Retail establishments selling meat to the final consumer (e.g. butchers) typically do not fall under the supervision of my Department.
The primary responsibility of maintaining records supporting traceability rests with the food business operator and these records must be made available on demand to authorised officers of the competent authorities who verify compliance. Labelling of meat products, as required by EU Regulation 2011/1169, EU Regulation 1760/2000 (beef traceability) and EU Regulation 1337/2013 (origin of pigs, sheep, goats and poultry) also plays a central role in meat traceability.
The auditing of compliance with traceability recording and the labelling legislative requirements are conducted by my Department in the establishments under its supervision at a frequency determined on a risk-basis.
