LexBlog (Blogs)
510 results for LexBlog (Blogs)
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LexBlog Ireland
LexBlog, 2019
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Ireland sees a large increase in food poisoning complaints
Public complaints to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) advice line went up this past year with a sharp rise in food poisoning reports. There were 4,058 complaints from consumers in 2022, with about 1,200 relating to unfit food and more than 1,100 each due to poor hygiene standards and suspected food poisoning. Food poisoning...
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Gerber infant formula recalled over potential Cronobacter contamination
Perrigo Company plc, of Dublin, Ireland, is recalling certain lots of Gerber® Good Start® SootheProTM Powdered Infant Formula in the U.S., that were manufactured at the Company’s Gateway Eau Claire, Wisconsin manufacturing facility from Jan. 2-18, 2023. This product is being recalled because of potential Cronobacter sakazakii contamination. This product is sold at retailers across...
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FSA shares latest findings on consumer food safety practices
Insights into people’s food safety approach when in the home, eating out, and ordering online have been provided by a survey. Food and You 2 is a survey commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). It measures consumers’ self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to food safety and other issues in England, Wales, and Northern...
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FSA to stop discounted meat enforcement charges
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is going ahead with plans to stop discounted enforcement prices in the meat industry despite strong opposition during a comment period. The consultation covered the proposal to remove discounts on charges for enforcement activity so non-compliant businesses that generate more work no longer benefit from discounts. Of 16 responses in...
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The Windsor Agreement and supply of medicinal products in Northern Ireland
On 27 February 2023, an agreement in principle was reached by the UK and EU, known as the Windsor Agreement, relating to post-Brexit trade issues in Northern Ireland (NI). The principles are expected to be approved shortly by the EU-UK Joint Committee. The UK Government and the EU institutions will then enact legislative measures to...
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Survey reveals pandemic and Brexit impact on businesses
Most food companies feel leaving the European Union has affected operations while many said COVID-19 didn’t impact their ability to meet regulatory requirements, according to a survey. The poll, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), included 400 businesses in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus interviews with 60 companies. Work took place between June...
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Irish Salmonella outbreak over; source not found
Health officials have been unable to find the source of a Salmonella outbreak that affected almost 30 people in Ireland and England. The outbreak, which saw 11 people hospitalized, has been declared over by authorities. Symptom onset ranged between Nov. 30, 2022, and Jan. 13, 2023, peaking on Dec. 7. Patients lived in multiple areas...
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Ireland Extends Temporary Protections for Ukrainian Nationals
On February 16, 2023, the Irish government announced the extension of a Temporary Protection program for individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine. As the initial Temporary Protection program was valid for only twelve months, the first set of permissions was set to expire on March 9, 2023. Under the terms of the announcement, the Temporary...
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Alcohol Labelling in Ireland
As with its decision to implement a ban on cigarette smoking in public places, Ireland is ahead of the EU curve on the issue of requiring warning labels to be placed on alcohol products. With 72% of Irish consumers welcoming the initiative and the EU Commission recently giving it a green light, it seems likely...
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Irish officials search for the source of the Salmonella outbreak
Health officials in the Republic of Ireland are investigating a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 20 people. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases associated with the epidemic is 26 and people fell ill between Nov. 30 and Dec. 25, 2022. Patients range in age from 10 to 91 years old; 14 are male and...
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FSA annual reports shows rise in incidents and recalls
The number of food incidents, recalls and cases of four pathogens went up over a 12-month period, according to the latest published data. The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) annual report and accounts covers performance and activities in 2021/22 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland at a cost of £130.5 million ($160.2 million). Susan Jebb, FSA chair, said:...
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Coimisiún na Meán to be designated as Competent Authority under the EU Terrorist Content Online Regulation
Coimisiún na Meán (the Media Commission), is currently in the process of being established in accordance with the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act (OSMR). Further information on its establishment and the appointment of the first four commissioners to Coimisiún na Meán can be read here. In addition to its role as the supervisory authority...
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FSA looks at consumer attitudes to buying food online
Factors such as the seller and the product type influence consumer trust in the hygiene and safety of food sold online, according to research. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned research to understand consumer attitudes toward buying food online, including the perceived risks. Findings come from 12 online discussion groups with 69 people in England,...
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Appointment of Executive Chairperson and Commissioners to Coimisiún na Meán
Today, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin announced the appointment of four Commissioners to Coimisiún na Meán/the Media Commission. The Media Commission, which is currently in the process of being established in accordance with the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act (OSMR), will act as the supervisory authority under...
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The Northern Ireland Conundrum: A Path Forward?
A Re-cap The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) The 1998 GFA brought an end to the 30 years of violent sectarian strife, euphemistically known as ‘The Troubles’. The GFA was carefully constructed so as to balance the competing positions of both communities and to remove all infrastructure on the border between N and S Ireland. Importantly,...
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2023: Court cases, rule changes and Codex celebrations
— OPINION — Welcome to 2023! The calendars have been changed, the holiday season is coming to a close and it is time to refocus ahead of what is sure to be another news worthy period for the food sector. This year marks a decade since the horse meat scandal in Europe. The food fraud...
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Cost tops Christmas concerns but safety is still listed as an important aspect
The cost of food is the main concern for people this Christmas but safety is still important, according to a survey. Research from safefood revealed that almost 4 in 10 people in Ireland are concerned about getting Christmas dinner right. The group safefood promotes food safety and nutrition in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The cost...
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Survey reveals good Salmonella knowledge in Ireland
Irish people generally have good knowledge of the main aspects to prevent Salmonella infection, according to recently published study results. Researchers evaluated consumers’ food safety knowledge by looking at their practices and attitudes regarding raw meat handling, cross-contamination while handling different types of food products, and knowledge of Salmonella risk and associated food-handlin
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Irish Data Protection Commission Fines Meta €265 Million for Privacy Violations
On November 25, 2022, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission released a decision fining Meta Platforms, Inc. €265 million for a 2019 data leak involving the personal information of approximately 533 million Facebook users worldwide.
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FCA publish statement on Liability Driven Investment
On 30 November 2022, the FCA published a statement made by the Pensions Regulator, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier on the resilience of Liability Driven Investment (LDI) portfolios and the operational governance of pensions schemes using LDI strategies. The statement sets forth that, the FCA expects asset...
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The Week in Weed: December 2, 2022
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see New York issuing its first cannabis licenses. Ireland considers a bill to decriminalize marijuana use. Connecticut delays its dispensary openings. Rhode Island, on the other hand, plans to begin sales this month. ...
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New Gender Pay Gap reporting – deadlines loom in Ireland
Mandatory gender pay gap reporting is new to Ireland and is likely to attract media attention and potential comparisons, particularly for multinational and higher profile companies. Deciding how best to communicate the gender pay gap – if it exists – will be important in averting any particular anxieties which may arise for employees and their...
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New Gender Pay Gap Reporting – Deadlines Loom in Ireland
Mandatory gender pay gap reporting is new to Ireland and is likely to attract media attention and potential comparisons, particularly for multinational and higher profile companies. Deciding how best to communicate the gender pay gap – if it exists – will be important in averting any particular anxieties which may arise for employees and their...
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FSA survey reveals that money worries are increasing food safety risks
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has found some people are taking food safety risks because of money pressures and rising energy costs. Data comes from a consumer survey of 2,000 adults in September relating to food in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. A new question for the latest edition of the monthly poll asked people...
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Update on the Electoral Reform Act 2022
Update on the Electoral Reform Act 2022 The Electoral Reform Act 2022 (the Act), brings about significant changes to the electoral system in Ireland. From the perspective of online platforms, Part 4 and Part 5 will be of key importance as they impose new obligations on platform providers to (i) ensure transparency in respect of...
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FSA staff may strike over pay; agency consults on meat charges
Some food safety staff at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are being asked if they want to go on strike because of their pay. Several hundred meat inspectors, vets, and office-based staff in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are involved, said Unison, a union in the United Kingdom. Mike Short, Unison’s head of local government, said the...
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FSAI highlights incidents, recalls and fraud in its annual report
The number of food incidents rose this past year but recalls and sampling declined, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) annual report. During 2021, 154 warnings about food being recalled or withdrawn from the market were issued, a slight decrease from 2020. FSAI also dealt with more incidents than the year before....
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A third of English sites not showing food hygiene score, finds survey
A third of food outlets in England don’t display a food hygiene rating but the figure has decreased over recent years, according to a survey. In Northern Ireland and Wales, businesses are legally required to display their Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) sticker but this is not the case in England. The system ranges from...
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High Court quashes decision to grant planning permission for An Bord Pleanála’s failure to send plaintiff’s submission to planning authority in a timely manner
The Environmental Trust Ireland v An Bord Pleanála & Ors case involved an application seeking to quash a decision of An Bord Pleanála (the Board) which granted planning permission under the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 to Cloncaragh Investments Limited, the notice party developer of...
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Project seeks to grow knowledge of Listeria in dairy sites
An ongoing project is identifying the bacteria present in dairy processing environments to evaluate the impact on Listeria monocytogenes. Teagasc in Ireland and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria are collecting samples from dairy processing plants and characterizing the microorganisms, with the aim being to prevent the presence of harmful pathogens. The LmRNA...