Thomas Lyons 
The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has raised concerns over the discovery of plastic and muscle fibres in a shipment of surplus food imported as animal feed to Ireland. The contaminated feed was part of a delivery from the United Kingdom (UK) to a farm in the south of Ireland in late 2020. While the IGGG praised the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for their prompt response to the incident, the group has called for a wider discussion on food production standards. Bobby Miller, chair of the IGGG, acknowledged the department’s rigorous testing facilities, but questioned whether consumers should be concerned about the reality of food production in the current era.
Last November, a sample of the consignment of processed animal proteins tested positive for prohibited material, prompting DAFM to work with the importer, haulier, and UK authorities to investigate the source of the contamination. The farmer was immediately informed to cease feeding the product, and the remaining contaminated feed was disposed of under DAFM supervision. Following a risk assessment, the department deemed the risk to public health as “negligible”.
Speaking to Agriland, Miller noted that the current period is challenging for tillage farmers, with the weather and the price of grain dropping sharply since the last harvest. The IGGG is one of several organisations expected to attend the first meeting of the Food Vision Tillage Group, scheduled for May 11. The group was established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in response to concerns that targets set in the Climate Action Plan to increase tillage to 400,000/ha by 2030 would not be achieved. The IGGG has forecast that the area sown out in crops across Ireland will fall in 2023.
The discovery of contaminated animal feed imported from the UK has raised concerns over food production standards in Ireland. While the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) acted promptly to contain the contaminated feed, the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has called for a wider discussion on the issue. The IGGG praised the department’s rigorous testing facilities but questioned whether this is the reality of food production in the current era. The group has also noted the challenges facing tillage farmers in Ireland, with the weather and the price of grain impacting the sector.
Last November, a sample of the consignment of processed animal proteins tested positive for prohibited material, prompting DAFM to work with the importer, haulier, and UK authorities to investigate the source of the contamination. The farmer was immediately informed to cease feeding the product, and the remaining contaminated feed was disposed of under DAFM supervision. Following a risk assessment, the department deemed the risk to public health as “negligible”.
The IGGG is one of several organisations expected to attend the first meeting of the Food Vision Tillage Group, scheduled for May 11. The group was established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in response to concerns that targets set in the Climate Action Plan to increase tillage to 400,000/ha by 2030 would not be achieved. The IGGG has forecast that the area sown out in crops across Ireland will fall in 2023.
The discovery of contaminated animal feed imported from the UK has raised concerns over food production standards in Ireland. While the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) acted promptly to contain the contaminated feed, the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has called for a wider discussion on the issue. The IGGG praised the department’s rigorous testing facilities but questioned whether this is the reality of food production in the current era. The group has also noted the challenges facing tillage farmers in Ireland, with the weather and the price of grain impacting the sector.
Last November, a sample of the consignment of processed animal proteins tested positive for prohibited material, prompting DAFM to work with the importer, haulier, and UK authorities to investigate the source of the contamination. The farmer was immediately informed to cease feeding the product, and the remaining contaminated feed was disposed of under DAFM supervision. Following a risk assessment, the department deemed the risk to public health as “negligible”.
The IGGG is one of several organisations expected to attend the first meeting of the Food Vision Tillage Group, scheduled for May 11. The group was established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in response to concerns that targets set in the Climate Action Plan to increase tillage to 400,000/ha by 2030 would not be achieved. The IGGG has forecast that the area sown out in crops across Ireland will fall in 2023.
