IFA calls for new food testing legislation
The Irish Farmer's Association said today that more rigorous food testing must be legislated for.
It was recently revealed that a Polish producer was the source of the horsemeat in Irish burgers.
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has ordered close scrutiny, but the IFA said that better legislation is needed.
The Association says the additive responsible is a gelling agent, more likely to be used in the lower end of the food market.
IFA president John Bryan is frustrated and is demanding better testing of products coming into this country since Irish producers have done what they can.
"From the start, there was no food safety issue here," he said.
"Everyone was clear on this, that there was defiantly a mislabelling where the original origin of the product and what was in the product [is concerned].
"And we have been in discussions with the Minister for Agriculture, senior department officials, where we're looking for guarantees that from now on nothing like this can happen again and that anything has to be properly tested that comes into this country."
