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Consultative Council Meeting - 18th March 2021

Present 

  • Ray Bowe, Chair [RB] 
  • Cormac Healy [CH] 
  • Maree Gallagher [MG]
  • Jamie Knox (JN)
  • Siobhan Murphy [SM] 
  • Eamonn Quinn [EQ] 
  • Martin Roper [MR]
  • Annette Sweeney [AS]

Apologies

  • Dermott Jewell
  • James McCrudden

In Attendance

  • Raymond Ellard [RE}

1. Welcome

The Chair welcomed members to the meeting and thanked them for their continued participation online during the current circumstances.

2. Minutes of Last Meeting – December 2020

The minutes of the last meeting were noted and agreed.

2a. Matters Arising

The minutes gave rise to a number of queries and observations

i. Food Safety Culture

It was noted that the European Commission adopted Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/382, which amends an existing food safety regulation ((EC) No 852/2004). EU 2021/282 stipulates that food business operators shall establish, maintain, and provide evidence of an appropriate food safety culture by fulfilling certain requirements such as commitment of the management and all employees to the safe production and distribution of food; leadership towards the production of safe food; engagement of all employees in food safety practices; open and clear communication between all employees in the business availability of sufficient resources. The Regulation comes into force in March 2021. The FSAI has to consider the development of guidance to compliance for both inspectors and food business operators

ii. Country of Origin rules

Members asked if there was any intention on the part of the Department of Health to introduce further rules on the declaration on labels of the country or origin or place of provenance of foods. RE said he was unaware of any, but will confirm after the meeting.

2b. Membership Update

The Council noted the resignation for personal reasons of Mr Dermot Gates and thanked him for his generous contributions over his term of office. It is a matter for the FSAI Board to appoint a replacement. It is expected that the Minister for Health will shortly appoint persons to fill the 12 other vacancies on the Council that are within his gift.

3. Update from FSAI

In advance of the meeting, on behalf of the FSAI, RE had circulated an update for the information of Council members. The update covered COVID-19 in the food sector, Brexit, food incidents, alerts and investigations, food supplements, food labelling, the FSAI advice line, the trainer’s network, the e-commerce working group and the membership of the FSAI’s Scientific Committee which was recently re-constituted.

4. Open Meeting 2021

The Council discussed possible topics to be the subject of a meeting open to the public to be organised later in the year at some point after September. Topics mentioned were the effects of COVID-19 on food business and consumption, online sales, emerging risks, the trend towards plant based foods, food labelling, food integrity, food safety culture, food safety in the media and the inclusion food safety reports on the agenda at board meetings in food safety businesses.

The Chair will establish a subcommittee to progress arrangements.

5. Any Other Business

The Chair noted that Raymond Ellard was retiring from the FSAI in April. He and other members expressed their thanks to Mr Ellard for his services to the Council over the years and wished him well for the future.

6. Next Meeting

The date for the next meeting will be arranged for a date in May or June.