Food company Kerry Group warned former taoiseach about potential impact on Irish industry, lobbying correspondence shows
privately warned that an EU decision would cause “major economic harm” to the Irish food sector. In a January 30th letter to then taoiseachThe commission, the arm of the EU that proposes laws, had pushed to stop renewing permission for various smoke flavourings for meats and other food, such as sauces and crisps. The move was taken after the EU food safety authority concluded toxicity concerns about the flavourings were “either confirmed or can’t be ruled out”.
The current process involves food producers purifying smoke and removing harmful components such as tar and ash, before the flavouring was added to food, Mr Scanlon wrote. Irish producers further down the supply chain had invested in factory equipment to add the flavourings to food, he said. The letter, released under the Freedom of Information Act, said the current method was more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than “conventional smoking” of foods.
Kerry Group also sought to raise the issue with senior staff working for Mairead McGuinness, Ireland’s EU commissioner for financial services. Patricia Reilly, head of the commissioner’s cabinet, met representatives of the company in Brussels in January, according to lobbying logs. Following the meeting Ms Reilly passed on the company’s concerns to her counterpart in the office of Stella Kyriakides, EU commissioner for food safety.
European-Commission Leo-Varadkar
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