The latest British figures on salmonella present a stark choice for policy makers in this State. The easier option, it might seem, is to live with the hazard and accept salmonella as a fact of modern life, where most eggs and a large proportion of poultry meat is contaminated. It might not be necessary to follow the lead set by Edwina Currie who - with a characteristic lack of subtlety - declared that practically all eggs were contaminated. But it would, at least, alert consumers to the potential problem.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has provided a frank assessment of the British trends, particularly of the Salmonella enteritidis strain associated with poultry, which it says is "out of control in England and Wales". It is now the most common cause of salmonella infection in Britain. The authority notes that the Republic still has a relatively low infection rate - 196 confirmed cases last year compared to 25,000 in England and Wales - but the trend is upward.
The case for aggressive controls in this State is compelling. This would preserve the Irish reputation for quality in food exports and adequately protect consumers. The Irish egg industry has responded well to consumer demands for better food safety. Soon, consumers will be able to purchase eggs labelled "sourced from salmonella-free stocks". In truth, it was probably the supermarkets' huge buying power which whipped producers into line. For all that, it is a welcome development.
The egg problem is easily resolved but infection is also occurring from eating poultry meat and it is more difficult to deal with. Denmark, Sweden and Finland have succeeded in producing chickens for consumption from salmonella-free flocks by deploying rigorous controls. With low levels in poultry here, it is possible for our food industry to take the Scandinavian route - indeed, salmonella trends within the pig industry warrant a similar approach.
There is one major difficulty; one third of our poultry needs are imported. These imports come from countries where the salmonella status of flocks is far from ideal. Therefore, the safety of some imports is questionable. Much of it comes from outside the EU, such as China and South America. Often it is re-boxed and sold as EU produce. It may be cheaper but its salmonella status is far inferior to that in Irish poultry flocks. Most ends up in catering and fast-food sectors where the infection risk is greatest. Even allowing for EU restrictions on checking produce from other member states, a new regime of checks is clearly required at distributor level.
Improving safety, however, comes at a price with the attendant risk that Irish producers may become uncompetitive. Much will depend on whether consumers and state authorities are prepared to pay extra for food safety. Given the possible health risks, the case for the most rigorous level of control and inspection is clear.