The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) announced late last week

that nearly one-fourth of over 10,000 calls received through the

agency’s advice line were information requests and complaints related to

food and food establishments in 2010.  

According to a press

release issued by FSAI, the agency received 2,126 food-related

complaints, most of which were reports of unfit food.  Second on the

list was suspected food poisoning.  Other complaints included incorrect

information on food labels, incorrect advertising of food products, and

poor hygiene.

Food contamination with foreign objects was a

frequent complaint lodged by consumers.  Live and dead insects, a tooth,

a needle, safety pins, stones, and a cotton bud were all reportedly

found in food products last year.  FSAI sent environmental health

officers to follow up on and investigate all complaints.

“The

increase in our reports is a positive indication of people’s heightened

awareness of their right to expect high standards of hygiene and food

safety in relation to food.  We welcome all reports and every single

case we receive is followed up swiftly and directly with the food

business involved,” said Edel Conway, Information Manager at FSAI, in a

written statement.  

Conway added, “There is no excuse for a food

business to have poor standards across any area of its production

processes – our advice line is not only a service for consumer

complaints but is also an important resource tool for the food industry

to assist them raise their standards with the best available advice.”

Other

calls that came into the FSAI advice line in 2010 were related to

advice on food labeling, legal requirements for starting a new food

business, food safety training information, food legislation, and

requests for FSAI publications.