Euro Toques call out to artisan food producers

Euro-toques, the chefs' and cooks' organisation, is seeking information on issues primary and secondary food producers have had with regard to food safety enforcement.

The organisation has established a �Food Producer �Safety Net� council�, comprising Myrtle Allen, Darina Allen (Ballymaloe House) Evan Doyle (Brooklodge), and Ruth Hegarty (Eurotoques).

According to a recent statement by Euro-toques, which has about 180 members, �we are seeking factual accounts of cases where food safety requirements have been imposed on small producers which seem disproportionate, incidents have occurred with the authorities which seem unfair, or producers who have gone out of business or simply given up because of the cost or burden of food safety compliance.�

While concerned with maintaining good food safety standards, they also point out that it is important to �provide emergency support for producers as well as advocacy to advance recognition of safe traditional and artisan food production practices�.

They point out that �practices that have been carried out in food production for generations are safe, and that hygiene requirements must be proportionate to the risk�.

They aim to �identify the least expensive way of complying with legal requirements and to have these methods recognised by the authorities�, while also working on education of food safety authorities and enforcement officers with regard to artisan food.

To do this, they want to build a database of food safety concerns and to �highlight, factually, where food safety regulation has been applied in a way that is not necessary or proportionate to the food risks in question�.

They will ask for �concrete facts and real cases�, but will use them in an anonymous way.

Positive encounters with food safety authorities are also requested, as these could help develop best practice guidelines for the future.

Information is to be submitted on: the producer, the problem, legal issues, costs, suggested alternatives and interactions with authorities.

They point our that they have �a legal expert on board who will work on relating your cases back to the relevant legislation and showing where EU law allows for flexibility in such cases�.

On the ground, many primary and secondary food producers have complained about the costs of compliance as well as what they see as unnecessary and avoidable duplication.

Food producers are not reimbursed for samples given up for testing, even when this can consist of a considerable proportion of overall product.

Some farmers who also have food businesses have listed up to two dozen inspections in a given year.

According to Anthony Creswell of the Ummera Smoked Products, �We ourselves spend a large amount of money getting identical tests done because the regulatory bodies require us to. It�s the duplication that adds to all our costs - duplication of tests, duplication of inspections�.

He points out that because his business smokes both meat and fish, it has inspections from both the Department of Agriculture and the SFPA (Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority), but �both under the auspices of the FSAI�. So �why not just one inspectorate?� he asks, while also pointing out that this would also be more economically efficient.

To contact Euro-toques, ruth@euro-toques.ie; ring 01 6779995 or see here