Meat processing is another sector that seems unable to keep itself out of the public eye. As an industry, it has already gone through one high-profile tribunal and had to survive the disaster that was the BSE scare.

You would think at the end of all that, as an industry so reliant on consumer confidence, it would ensure it was above reproach. True, it has done a lot to update plants and processes but this week's revelation that prohibited spinal cord matter has been found in carcasses sent to the North from four meat processing plants in the Republic scarcely inspires confidence.

As you would expect, the four plants had their export licences suspended, effectively stopping slaughtering . . . for between one and three days! Some censure. Better still, the Department of Agriculture under Minister Joe Walsh has decided in the spirit of openness and transparency for which it is renowned not to reveal the identities of the plants involved. Just the approach to inspire confidence in the consumer, especially coming a matter of weeks after the Department reported 15 cases of BSE in September, one of the highest numbers since the disease was first recognised in 1989. That brings the number of cases this year to 90, double last year's number over the same period.

Dominic Coyle can be contacted at dcoyle@irish-times.ie