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The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) ( ga, Údarás Sábháilteachta Bia na hÉireann – USBE) is the statutory body responsible for ensuring food produced, distributed or marketed in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
complies with
food safety
Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from ...
and hygiene standards, best practice codes and legal requirements.
The FSAI was established on 1 January 1999, with the enactment of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998. The chief executive of the FSAI is Dr. Pamela Byrne.
The FSAI Act empowers the Authority to issue closure orders and prohibition orders on food businesses which do not comply with food safety and hygiene requirements.
2013 horse meat scandal
The FSAI conducted tests on a sample of frozen beefburgers sold in Irish and British supermarkets in early 2013, and announced on 15 January that the test results had revealed significant quantities of
horse meat
Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Eurasia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3 million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early existen ...
in several of the products tested.
The findings triggered the
2013 meat adulteration scandal, which involved several major food retailers and suppliers in the United Kingdom, France and other European countries.
See also
safefood
References
External links
Food Safety Authority of Ireland website*
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Government agencies of the Republic of Ireland
Government agencies established in 1999
1999 establishments in Ireland
Food safety organizations
Medical and health organisations based in the Republic of Ireland
Regulation in Ireland