Thursday, 19 December 2019
The FSAI today publishes its Wild Game Food Supply Chain Audit. The FSAI has overall responsibility for the enforcement of food law in Ireland. It carries out targeted audits of food businesses to determine levels of compliance with current food law and the effectiveness of its implementation.
The FSAI today publishes its Wild Game Food Supply Chain audit. The FSAI has overall responsibility for the enforcement of food law in Ireland. It carries out targeted audits of food businesses to determine levels of compliance with current food law and the effectiveness of its implementation.
This targeted audit of food businesses was undertaken as part of the FSAI’s planned programme of audits. The audit conducted between December 2017 and October 2018 examined the level of compliance with food law present within the wild game food supply chain.
The primary objective of the audit was to assess the traceability and supplier controls in place for wild game by food business operators in Ireland.
The outcome of this programme of audits was found to be generally satisfactory despite some legislative breaches. The restaurants and butcher audited were found to have purchased wild game from approved game handling establishments, wholesalers or butchers. The food business operator controls relating to the traceability and supply of wild game implemented in the restaurants and butcher, at the time of this audit, were found to be effective. Supplier controls assessed as part of the audit varied with regards to the level of detail in documented procedures. Often the documented procedure did not reflect the level of operational controls that were in place in the game handling establishments, wholesalers, collection centres and dealers. All had implemented systems to maintain records in relation to the hunters that were supplying wild game to them. In spite of the satisfactory outcome of this audit, the FSAI is aware of allegations of illegal activity associated with the hunting of wild game. The FSAI, working with official agencies and other state bodies continues to investigate and where appropriate take enforcement action, to ensure that public health continues to be protected.
The report makes a series of recommendations and where breaches were identified, corrective actions have been specified.
Wild Game Food Supply Chain audit report is available here.