A State-wide campaign to ensure the food industry completely implements a system of controlling food safety that was developed for the US space industry has got under way.
The system was devised to produce the safest possible food for crews going into space on long missions where food poisoning would almost certainly mean death.
The joint initiative, which will involve the 10 health boards with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, will encourage the industry to adopt the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (HACCP). The system seeks to identify hazards and put preventative measures in place.
The initiative was developed following a baseline survey undertaken by the environmental health officers in the health boards of 1,000 food businesses, hospitals, hotels and nursing homes to see if they were HACCP-compliant.
The survey found the majority of them (88 per cent) had either started compliance or were found to be fully compliant with the system, which they are required to implement by law since 1998.
Dr Wayne Anderson, chief specialist, food science, FSAI, said temperature control was a critical control point and the FSAI was highlighting to the industry the grave need to ensure that food was cooked to an appropriate temperature.
It was imperative to keep hot food hot and cold food cold so food-borne bacteria did not have the opportunity to multiply and in turn cause food-borne illness.
The FSAI had prepared a national media campaign to communicate to the food industry the dangers of not complying with the legal requirements.
If a business was found to have caused food poisoning, its owners would be legally responsible.
Leaflets were being distributed to explain HACCP to the industry and also how to select an external HACCP consultant. A further leaflet entitled HACCP for the Catering Sector was also being prepared.