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Food Safety, Public Health & Consumer Issues
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Protecting the safety of Irish food and the interests of consumers is at the core of agri-food industry in Ireland. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine employs over 1,600 people in the areas of food safety and quality control.
However, we cannot do it all. Use the information and services explained below to understand how you can contribute.
The European Community's food and feed hygiene legislation (the Hygiene Package) came into effect across all Member States from 01 January 2006. The Hygiene Package revises and consolidates legislation in relation to:
- Food and feed hygiene
- Control and marketing of products of animal origin
- Animal health issues in relation to the production of those products.
The Hygiene Package was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009, S.I. 432 of 2009 and more recently revised in 2020 (S.I. 22 of 2020).
Since January 2006, the Department has been carrying out inspections of all existing and new meat establishments for approval under the Hygiene Package (as provided for in S.I. 22 of 2020). The list of establishments approved under S.I. 22 of 2020 are below.
Information note on the approval process for meat processing establishments (pdf 251Kb)
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Information Note on Data Sharing (pdf 96Kb)
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Notice of Intent (pdf 539Kb)
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Application Form to Registration as a Food Business Operator (FBO) Meat/ Cold Store Establishment
Form to be completed under Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs to Registration as a Food Business Operator and for Approval of an Activity(ies) at a Meat Processing / Cold Store Establishment
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Meat Establishments (incorporating Fish, Egg & Dairy Establishments) Approved / Registered by the Department under S.I. 22 of 2020
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Milk and Dairy establishments approved and/or registered under the Hygiene Regulations (xls 32Kb)
DownloadFood safety controls on meat in Ireland are regulated by a number of measures commonly referred to as the 'Hygiene Package'. Under the Hygiene Package the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is entitled to carry out inspections of all meat establishments for hygiene approval.
The Hygiene Package regulates the following areas:
- Food and feed hygiene.
- The production, control and marketing of products of animal origin.
- Animal health issues in relation to the production of those products.
Derogation on Temperature Conditions Application Form
Application form for authorisation to exercise derogation on temperature conditions in transport of meat
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VPHIS - DAFM Website - GDPR Privacy Notice
DownloadMilk Hygiene - Approval and Inspection Service
Milk Hygiene section and Dairy Controls & Certification Division implement EU and national legislation to approve and supervise food business operators involved in the production of milk and milk based products. Controls are implemented to verify that legal standards of quality and safety for human consumption are maintained from production at farm level, through to manufacturing and storage.
Dairy Controls & Certification Division staff are authorised under the relevant legislation and carry out monitoring and enforcement measures, including inspections, audits and product sampling, to verify compliance with legislation. The control programmes also provide for the certification of dairy products for export to Third Country markets.
Further details on the registration/approval process, including application forms and information pack for Dairy Establishments are available from:
Notice of Intent to alter approved premises or amend activities at an approved Milk Pasteurising Plant or Cold Storage facility
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Application form to Amend a Food Business Operators Approval for Dairy Products
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Registered Establishments for the Supply of Raw Milk by a Primary Producer for Direct Human Consumption, to Retailers and/or Direct to Final Consumers
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Milk and Dairy establishments approved and/or registered under the Hygiene Regulations (xls 32Kb)
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Controls to ensure that Irish Milk and Dairy Products are free from Antibiotics/Hormones
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Direction RE Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues (Milk Sector)
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Traceability Guidance
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The Cheesemakers' Workbook
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Best practice for Testing Foods
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Raw Milk Ireland Industry Guide to Legal Requirements and Good Practice
DownloadThis webpage provides information on animal feedingstuffs including the legislation governing the manufacture, distribution and use of animal feedingstuffs in Ireland.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is the Competent Authority responsible for the transposition and implementation of European Union legislation on animal feedingstuffs. Within DAFM, the Feedingstuffs, Fertiliser, Grain & Poultry Division (FFGPD) develop policy on animal feed, manage the negotiation, transposition and enforcement of feed legislation and carry out official controls along the feed chain.
The primary role of DAFM is to verify that animal feed and feeding practices do not constitute a hazard to human or animal health or to the environment. DAFM carry out a comprehensive programme of risk based controls including inspections and sampling of feedingstuffs at all stages along the feed chain, including importation, storage, manufacture, trade and use at farm level. DAFM also perform checks on feed labelling to ensure that stockowners and pet owners are informed about the quality of the feed.
- Requirements for the Import of animal feed into Ireland
- Export of Animal Feedingstuffs to non-European Union (EU) countries
- Third Country Representatives
The attention of visitors is drawn to the acknowledgements and disclaimer notice on this page.
Feeding Stuffs - Data Protection Notice
DownloadA variety of rules about food labelling must be followed in Ireland. Learn more about these below.
Labelling of Fruit Juices and Related Products Guide Booklet February 2014
DownloadIn October of 2019 the four major chemistry laboratories within the DAFM laboratory complex were amalgamated into what is now the Food Chemistry division. The laboratories within this division operate as monitoring laboratories for the analysis of pesticide and veterinary residues in food, the composition of dairy products, contaminants and chemical elements in food and also the analysis of plant protection and biocidal products.
The laboratories implement the monitoring program for residues in food, compositional analysis, contaminants and chemical elements and pesticide formulated products in compliance with EU legislation. The Food Chemistry Division consists of four laboratories with different functions:
The Pesticide Residues laboratory analyses samples of fruit, vegetables, cereals, food of animal origin including animal fat, milk and other dairy products, honey, infant and follow on formula and processed foods (including wine, juices, tinned foods and oils) as well as organic produce.
Routine sampling of fruit and vegetables is biased in favour of food commodities that are of greater dietary importance. In excess of 800 samples of domestic and imported fruit and vegetables are taken annually. Baby food, fruit and vegetable juices as well as wine fall under this category.
Random samples of bovine, porcine, ovine, poultry, equine and cervine fat samples are taken at a range of meat processing plants around the country. Dairy, eggs and honey produce are sampled at production plants or points of assembly.
Currently, the sampling programme is confined to the sampling and analysis of grain used in the milling, malting and breakfast cereal industries. Cereals and cereal products of both domestic and imported origin are sampled on a random basis at point of assembly or storage.
Approximately 60 samples of infant and follow on formula are analysed annually for approximately 460 pesticides and their metabolites.
The function of the Pesticide Formulations laboratory is to monitor the quality of plant protection and biocidal products placed on the Irish market. These products are registered for use with a particular specification and the Formulations Laboratory checks that the products on the market comply with this specification.
The primary role of The Veterinary Residues Laboratory (VRL) is to provide expertise and laboratory analysis for the chemical analysis of animal and farm samples for the detection of residues of veterinary medicinal products, e.g. antibiotics, banned substances such as growth promoters, and contaminants such as heavy metals. The work supports DAFM’s responsibilities in relation to the National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) under Council Directive (EC) 96/23. The VRL is the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for several residues groups in accordance with Commission Decision 98/536/EC including antithyroid agents, beta-agonists, chloramphenicol and dapsone, antibiotics, carbadox and chemical elements.
The Dairy Chemistry Laboratory carries out compositional analysis of dairy products and infant formula to verify compliance with Council Regulation 1308/2013 and Directive 2006 /141 on the composition of Infant Formula/Follow-on-formula. This laboratory facilitates international trade in dairy products by carrying out testing to certify both the food safety and compositional criteria set by the EU third countries. The laboratory also carries out analysis of dairy products to ensure compliance with market support requirements under Regulations 1308/2013 and 826/2008.
The Food Chemistry Division Laboratories are fully accredited, which means that the EU Commission and our customers can have complete confidence in our ability to analyse samples for a wide range of Food Safety related analytes.
The Laboratories are all accredited to the ISO 17025, as part of the overall DAFM Laboratoies accreditation, with a flexible scope. The laboratory’s accreditation number is 385T and its current scope can be obtained from the Irish National Accreditation website at:https://www.inab.ie/Directory-of-Accredited-Bodies/Laboratory-Accreditation/Testing/DAFM-Laboratories-Backweston.html
Being fully accredited is a requirement for all laboratories involved in the official control of foodstuffs. Being an accredited Laboratory ensures that the EU Commission and our customers can have complete confidence in our laboratory’s ability to analyse samples for pesticide residues.
