Irish beef is exported to many different retailers and food chains across Europe including McDonald’s
At a recent industry briefing, Bord Bia explained why the Quality Mark is the most comprehensive tool for consumers to gauge that a product is produced in the ROI
Bord Bia recently hosted a briefing regarding food labelling in relation to country of origin and the role of Bord Bia’s Quality Mark.
While most consumers are well aware of the Quality Mark, Bord Bia feels that there is a slight confusion due to the many symbols denoting Irishness that are being used on food items and they were keen to explain why the Quality Mark is the most comprehensive tool for consumers to gauge that a product is produced in the ROI.
Michael Maloney, director of Quality Assurance at Bord Bia explained that the Bord Bia Quality Mark is the only symbol that guarantees a product has been produced, processed and packaged within the 26 counties of Ireland and there is an expanding portfolio of high-end retail and food service businesses getting involved in the process with 31,500 Irish farms now certified for quality assured production.
Maloney said that the standards and processes for acquiring the Q mark are very thorough and involves strict auditing practices. The standards include traceability, animal welfare, environmental consciousness, safe use of medicines, and chemicals, food safety and hygiene.
Sausages must have a minimum of 70% meat to be allowed to carry the Q mark and other pigmeat products must have a minimum of 86% meat to carry it. All other food can only carry the Q mark where the percentage of meat in the final product is over 90%.
Food producers are said to find the Bord Bia Quality Mark commercially advantageous with beef exports achieving over €150 million more in 2011 because of the Q mark as it is such a recognised tool.
Research carried out for Bord Bia in 2011 showed that ROI customers continue to be more aware of quality symbols and country of origin then NI or GB and in ROI 32% of people always check for quality symbols (up 9% points from 23% in 2009).
Maloney explained that recently there has been the need to produce three separate marks; Origin Ireland, Origin Northern Ireland and Produced and Processed Ireland and Northern Ireland to allow consumers decipher between products produced and processed in the north and south of Ireland.
The Irish food market employs 130,000 and export sales are up 12% to €8.85 billion, with meat and livestock accounting for €2,795 million.
Ireland sells beef into over 70 of the main retail chains in the UK and continental Europe and 48% of Irish beef is sold to the UK, 48% to continental Europe and 4% into other markets.
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