The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has reported that ten (10) enforcement actions have been served on seafood businesses during April, May and June of 2023 for suspected breaches of food safety law, under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998 and the European Union (Food & Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020. The enforcement actions were issued by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers as a result of risk based official controls of approved food business establishments. No closure orders were issued over this period.
The SFPA has responsibility for food safety law enforcement across a range of 2,323 food business operators nationally, as the Official Agency with responsibility for the enforcement of food safety law in the seafood sector up to the point of retail. Included under this remit is the assessment of food safety controls across the sea-fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
The SFPA also confirms convictions recorded against a food business operator for offences under the European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020 whereby the company was fined a total of €4,500 at the District Court at An Daingean in April 2023. The Defendant company, O Cathain Iasc Teo., Dingle, Co. Kerry, pleaded guilty to charges for breaches of food safety law including the placing of unsafe bluefin tuna product on the market, failure to comply with food hygiene requirements and failures to ensure temperature control of bluefin tuna products. The case arose following an unannounced inspection of the premises in March 2021, which also resulted in the prevention of the bluefin tuna product being placed for retail.
Commenting on the quarterly figures, an SFPA spokesperson said; “Protecting seafood safety is a central element of our remit as a regulatory authority. Assuring consumer trust in the quality, provenance, and safety of our seafood produce, is critical to achieving the collective ambitions of the sector. The SFPA, for its part, is committed to developing and supporting a culture of regulatory compliance across the seafood sector. The low level of non-compliance found illustrates the considerable efforts being made by most seafood businesses to work within the regulations, as well as the robust inspection system in place to assure and, where necessary, to enforce compliance.”
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Note to Editor:
During Q2 2023, there were 10 enforcement notices served by SFPA inspectorate as follows:
- 3 Compliance Notices under S.I. 22/2020 – European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene)
Regulations 2020
- 1 Improvement Notices under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998
- 6 Fixed Payment Notices under S.I. 22/2020 – European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene)
Regulations 2020
(Note: All figures provided are provisional.)