The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has reported that seven (7) Enforcements have been served on seafood businesses during July, August & September of 2023 for breaches of food safety legislation pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Food & Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020. The Enforcements were issued by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers during risk based official controls. No closure orders were issued over this period.
The SFPA has responsibility for the enforcement across a range of 2,323 business operations nationally as the Official Agency with responsibility for the enforcement of food 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.
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.”
Ends
Note to Editor:
During Q2 2023, there were 7 enforcement notices served by SFPA inspectorate as follows:
- 2 Compliance Notices under S.I. 22/2020 – European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene)
Regulations 2020
- 2 Improvement Notices under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998
- 3 Fixed Payment Notices under S.I. 22/2020 – European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene)
Regulations 2020
(Note: All figures provided are provisional.)