Introduction Patrick Farrell Audit Manager

Introduction • Patrick Farrell • Audit Manager • Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) • My role in the FSAI is to manage the various types of audits we are involved in.

• Audits of official agencies – Under service contract to FSAI • Focused Audits – Labelling & Traceability – SRM • Special Investigations – Food Fraud

Misleading advertising, presentation & labelling of foodstuffs • Legislation – Directive 2000/13/EC…. On the approximation of the laws of Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs – Article 16 of Regulation 178/2002

Overview • Labelling legislation – Where are the rules on food labelling?

European horizontal labelling legislation • European Directive 2000/13/EC – Meat products amendment: Directive 2001/101/EC • (as amended Directive 2002/86/EC) – Allergens amendment: Directive 2003/89/EC • (as amended Directive 2005/26/EC) – (Directive 2005/63/EC correcting 2005/26/EC)

Article 16 of 178/2002 • States as follows: – Without prejudice to more specific provisions of food law, the labelling, advertising and presentation of food or feed, including their shape, appearance or packaging, the packaging materials used, the manner in which they are arranged and the setting in which they are displayed, and the information which is made available about them through whatever medium, shall not mislead consumers.

Definitions • ‘labelling’ • shall mean any words, particulars, trade marks, brand name, pictorial matter or symbol relating to a foodstuff and placed on any packaging, document, notice, label, ring or collar accompanying or referring to such foodstuff

Definitions • ‘pre-packaged’ shall mean any single item … consisting of a foodstuff and the packaging into which it was put before being offered for sale……

Derogation where a prepackaged foodstuff is: • For supply only to mass caterers (for preparation, processing, cutting, etc) • or • Intended for the ultimate consumer, but marketed prior to sale to the ultimate consumer and where sale to mass caterers is not involved (such as supply to wholesalers)

In such cases the labelling information may appear on the commercial documents accompanying the foodstuff. Commercial Document

Information on label must be clear and unambiguous

Must not mislead the consumer to a material degree: • As to the characteristics of the foodstuff and, in particular: – as to its nature – identity – properties – composition – quantity – durability – origin or provenance – method of manufacture or production

Must not mislead the consumer to a material degree: • By attributing to the foodstuff effects or properties which it does not possess • By suggesting that the foodstuff possesses special characteristics when in fact all similar foodstuffs possess such characteristics.

LABELLING must not attribute to any foodstuff the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease or refer to such properties

The information provided on the label must be: • easy to understand • be clearly legible • it must also be indelible • easy to see and not obscured in any way

Language • The labelling of foodstuffs must be in a language easily understood by the consumer e. g. • In Ireland it must be in English or English & Irish In Slovakia it may have to be in Slovakian. Will it have to be in another language ? ?

Overview • When do the labelling rules apply? • General requirements • Compulsory labelling requirements

When do the labelling rules apply? • Pre-packaged foods – and • Available for sale to consumers and/or the catering trade

General requirements • Purchaser must not be misled • Medicinal claims prohibited • Information must be easy to understand, clearly legible etc. • Language – English (depending on Member State language)

Overview of labelling requirements • name of food* • ingredients • quantity of certain ingredients (QUID) • net quantity* • date of minimum durability* • special storage instructions • name and address of manufacturer/packer/seller • origin • Instructions for use • alcohol content* * must appear in the same field of vision

Field of Vision: ØThe name of the foodstuff Øthe date of minimum durability Øthe net quantity The intention is that all the information can easily be seen at the same time under normal purchasing conditions

Food Labelling and the Consumer The food we eat today is a key part of our lifestyle. We ask ourselves 'is this food good for me? ' or 'how much of this should I eat? '. What we eat is becoming more important as we move toward healthy, self improved lifestyles. As consumers become more conscious of food ingredients, it is in the interests of manufacturers to highlight product contents and health or nutritional benefits. Labelling is just one way of providing consumers with appropriate information. Labels are of particular importance when we consider processed or fresh foodstuffs as well as perishable fast moving consumer goods. Labelling needs to be accurate, particularly at the point-of-sale

What to Look For on a Label

How often do you buy something without looking at the product label? How many of us understand the details presented on product labels? Labels should not mislead consumers and information should be easily seen. This is the principle of 'the field of vision'. By law, packaged food must show:

PLACE OF ORIGIN and TRACEABILITY What is the difference? 'Smoked Irish Salmon' versus 'Irish Smoked Salmon' Could any of these products have been made in Ireland? • American Style Burgers • Florida Orange Juice • Processed Whole Irish Chicken Breast

Case Studies Beef & Poultry

BEEF • Beef supplied by cold store (mixture of Irish & imported) Importer/ Processor • Export refunds L E ith S ef w n be azilia ish • Br r ing I stat • Cooked in plant • Not labelled as Irish leaving the plant • Delivered to multiple • Multiple delivers to retail • Shelf Edge Label (SEL) states Irish Multiple Retail • SELs Produced centrally Retail

Chicken Fillets Caps imported from Belgium Skinned and cut in half Packaged and labelled as ‘Produced in Ireland’ Irish Health Mark

“Customers, We guarantee that all our fresh whole chickens, chicken breast fillets and portions are 100% Irish” UK 1234 EC

Adare Farm Chicken Dutch Health Mark

Inish Glora Farm Chicken Fillets German Health Mark

Examples of Fishy Labelling

• • Traditional SMOKED IRISH SALMON English PRICE x. xx WEIGHT USE BY xxxx xx/xx/xxxx Nutritional Information __________________ xxxxxx __________________ xxxxx xx. xx __________________ xxx x. xx __________________ Farmed = Correct Italian Ingredients: Irish Atlantic Salmon (farmed), Salt, Oak Smoke Ingredienti: Salmone Irlandese Atlantico (di allevamento ) Sale, Fumo di Quercia • Seafresh Ltd, Castletown, Co. Galway di allevamento = incorrect prodotto di acquacoltura = Correct

• Traditional • SMOKED IRISH WILD SALMON Farmed Salmon Scotland/Shetland Norway HAND SLICED Nutritional Information PRICE xx WEIGHT xxxxx USE BY xxxxxx Ingredients: Salt, Smoke & Salmon • IRL Xxx DL __________________ xxxxx __________________ xxxxx __________________ Seafresh Ltd, Castletown, Co. Dublin Machine Sliced

• Traditional • SMOKED IRISH SALMON Production Method Not Indicated Our Smoked Irish Salmon is Harvested in the crystal clear waters of the North Atlantic and off the rugged West Coast of Ireland PRICE WEIGHT USE BY Nutritional Information xx xxxxxx Ingredients: Salt, Smoke & Salmon IRL Xxx DL Catch Area Not Specific • __________________ xxxxxx __________________ xxxxx __________________ Seafresh Ltd, Castletown, Co. Dublin Terminology Used Misleading in the absence of Production Method & Specific Catch Area

Wet Fish Display Counter “All our fish are caught off the west coast of Ireland” Nile Perch Farmed Scottish Salmon

Case Studies Fishery Products

Complaint Wild Salmon Complaint Significant Non Compliance Cautioned by DCMNR + HSE Visited Supplier Contact HSE Audit of Premises (Processing Plant + Fishmongers) Invoice Not the Same - Altered

Wild Salmon Displayed on Menu Checked Product Chill/Freezer DCMNR Poor traceability -At Processors After Investigation Verified Product Farmed Salmon Checked Invoices/ Delivery Docket from Distributor Contacted DCMNR to verify Product Codes

Salmon Country of Origin + Production method not Specified Salmon being sold by Processor/Distributor to Retail Outlets Buys Irish + Also Scottish/Norwegian Through Importer Checked Packaging / Labelling + Commercial Documentation COO + Production Area Not always Specified Irish – Labelled as Farmed Irish Scotish/Norwegian – Labelled as Caught NE Atlantic

Issues • Substantial Transformation • When can a product produced in Slovakia be labelled as ‘produced in Slovakia’ if the raw material is from a different country • Must not mislead the consumer

Press Clipping- The China Daily “ And finally, a restaurant in northeastern China that advertised illegal tiger meat dishes was found instead to be selling donkey fleshmarinated in tiger urine. The story explains that the restaurant had advertised stir-fried tiger meat with chillies as well as liquor flavoured with tiger bone. The sale of tiger parts is illegal in China and officers shut down the restaurant, only to be told by the owner that the meat was actually that of donkeys, flavoured with tiger urine to give the dish a “special” tang. The report didn’t say how the urine was obtained… ” World Food Regulation Review

It is OUR job to protect this Person !