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Food Safety Information, Advice, Guidance and useful links

The SFPA issues Food Safety Information Notices (FSINs) on fisheries legislation in order to provide interpretation of some of the more complex elements of the legislation.

The contents of Food Safety Information Notices (FSINs) are provided as a guide only and are intended to enhance access to information for Seafood Business Operators.

The purpose of the FSINs are to provide the information in a manageable form and in doing so it is limited to the essential elements of information. They should always be read along with the governing legislation.

Whilst every effort is made in preparing material no responsibility is accepted by or on behalf of the SFPA for any errors, omissions or misleading statements in the documents.

We welcome feedback and will endeavour to improve or provide clarification on the information notices. If you are looking for Fisheries Information Notices (FINs) they are on a seperate area of this website.

Information Notices (Food Safety)

Useful links

Guidance and Advice

Guidance and Advice

The SFPA carries out official controls in seafood safety on an ongoing basis along the seafood chain from boat up but excluding retail stage (on fishing vessels, in shellfish production areas, in establishments handling preparing and processing seafood).

The Health Service Executive has responsibility for official controls in the retail sector (fishmongers, catering establishments etc).

SFPA staff at our headquarters and port offices will be happy to provide advice and guidance on any seafood safety queries.

Food Business Operator Obligations when non Compliant Food or Food Potentially Injurious to Human Health is Identified.

Key responsibilities for all Food Business Operators set out in food law include placing safe food on the market, having procedures based on HACCP principles, adequately labelling product,  maintaining traceability (one step forward and one step back) and withdrawing potentially unsafe food from the market (Regulation 178/2002 laying down the principles and requirements of food law).

Action required on identifying non compliant food or food potentially injurious to human health:

For Food Business Operators supervised by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), the following applies:

  • If a Food Business Operator considers or has reason to believe that a fishery or aquaculture product which it has imported, produced, processed, or distributed is not in compliance with the food safety requirements or may be injurious to human health, and the product has left the control of the Food Business Operator, procedures must be immediately initiated to withdraw the food in question from the market in accordance with the business’s Food Safety Management System.
  • If the product has been supplied to the final consumer via retail, the product must be recalled and the final consumer notified.
  • The SFPA must also be informed. During a withdrawal or recall, the Food Business Operator will be required to fully co-operate with the SFPA and, as necessary, with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Withdrawal/Recall:

To ensure efficient and timely withdrawal /recall of a non compliant product or product which may be injurious to human health, a Food Business Operator must have detailed contact details of each customer including their full address. This information must be made available to the SFPA. In accordance with the rules on traceability, it is not, however, necessary to maintain addresses of final consumers supplied via retail.  Copies of any withdrawal notifications and public recall notices (Point of Sale Notices) must also be provided to the SFPA.

Follow up:

Food Business Operators must consider what went wrong (i.e. investigate the cause) and, as appropriate, take action to prevent reoccurrence.  The SFPA may require additional information or may carry out an inspection to verify that remedial action has been put in place. If deemed necessary, enforcement action may be taken. In undertaking any enforcement action the SFPA always strives to operate in a consistent, proportionate and transparent manner.