Each year specific foods that may have been irradiated but not labelled appropriately are sampled and analysed to determine compliance with Directive 1999/2/EC and its implementing Directive 1999/3/EC (S.I. No 297 of 2000) and with Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers.
1. Results of checks carried out on irradiation facilities in Ireland
There are no facilities in Ireland that have been approved for the irradiation of food.
2. Results of checks carried out at the product marketing stage to detect undeclared irradiated foods
Foods were sampled by the National Environmental Health Service and analysed by the Public Analyst Laboratories in Cork and Galway. A total of 86 food products were sampled and analysed in 2025, and no samples were found to be irradiated (Table 1).
Table 1. Results for the food irradiation checks in 2025.
| EU food category code | EU food category | No. samples analysed | No. positive samples (i.e., irradiated but not declared) | CEN method to detect irradiation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (01) | Dairy Products | 0 | 0 | EN 13751 |
| (07) | Cereals and Bakery Products | 0 | 0 | |
| (08) | Fruit and Vegetables | 10 | 0 | |
| (09) | Herbs and Spices | 36 | 0 | |
| (14) | Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee, and Tea | 39 | 0 | |
| (21) | Other | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 86 | 0 |
CEN (European Committee for Standardisation); EN (European Standard)