Pork Was Safe Despite Recall

Following the €1 billion recall operation and the loss of almost 1,000 jobs, the European Food Safety Authority has claimed that the amount of risk to consumers was of little concern.

The European Food Safety Authority has released its report on the crisis saying the possible increase in Dioxins for any person eating an average amount of Irish pork each day throughout the 90 day period of the incident would increase their bodies concentration by approximately 10%, a level which would be "of no concern".

The EFSA report went on to say that even in extreme cases, a large amount of pork eaten dring the period would "not necessarily lead to adverse health effects."

Fine Gael's Agriculture Spokesperson, Michael Creed, said the EFSA assessment must be the platform for rebuilding the good name of Irish pork. Mr Creed said it is essential that talks between the Government and producers must be brought to a successful conclusion, as it is critical the product is returned to shop shelves.

"The top priority now is the resumption of pork production. The Government talks with the industry have been ongoing for three days now when time is of the essence. The longer pork products are off our shelves the harder it is going to be to restore confidence and re-establish market share," he said.

The fall out from the crisis is thought to require €200 million to reignite the industry, as the cash strapped Government continues to lobby the European Commission for financial assistance.

(DW)