Alyn Smith MEP has discussed the news that the Irish Republic has recalled all pig meat and products produced since 1
September after dioxin levels some 200 times over
safe levels were found in routine tests. Mr Smith met with Commission officials in Brussels responsible for monitoring cross
border trade in foodstuffs as well as Scottish Government officials.

On his arrival in Brussels, Smith commented:

"This is awful news, and just
what the pig sector does not need after a disastrous few years.  It must be stressed that all the science says there is
little to no risk to people, but the scale of this recall, some three and a
half months of national production, does indicate how seriously the Irish are
taking this and rightly so.

"There are a number of steps which
we now need to take to ensure consumer safety and, crucially, consumer
confidence. The border controls which have already come into operation
are I'm told working well enough, and the job of tracing the pig meat and
products is underway. I will be in touch with the European Commission
officials tomorrow to discuss how the restrictions
are working and will ensure Scottish government officials, as well as Food
Standards Agency personnel, are kept in the loop.

"The immediate priority for the
Irish has to be the source of the contamination. For chemicals,
polychlorinated biphenyls, (PCBs) banned in Ireland since the 1970s to appear
in pig meat seems very odd, and I have no doubt that the Irish are working hard
to find the source and we should have some actual facts in the next few days.

"Meantime, I have regular talks with the Irish farming organisations
in Brussels,
Irish farming is similar to Scottish in a number of ways and my heart goes out
to them. Of course, history has shown that most crises are the
responsibility of a few sloppy individuals, and should however the ongoing
criminal investigations find that anyone was irresponsible, then I would hope
that they will be hung out to dry for inflicting this consumer crisis on the entire
sector."