Significant progress has been made by the Irish and British governments towards setting up an all-Ireland food safety implementation body, The Irish Times has learned.
The body, it is understood, will oversee food safety advice programmes and education, and the implementation of common standards in food production and retailing North and South.
It will also establish an all-Ireland surveillance system to facilitate rapid detection of the causes of food poisoning outbreaks, which have risen sharply on both sides of the Border in recent years.
Sources close to the talks process confirmed yesterday that the governments were planning a substantial body covering food safety in the belief that it is the one that can secure tangible benefits quickly, while being least contentious politically.
One source said: "Both sides want it, and see the significant benefits it can bring, particularly for those in agriculture who have experienced such difficulties of late."
An all-Ireland group of food, agriculture and public health experts will be affiliated to the body, and in turn advise health authorities on both sides of the Border on all aspects of food.
Food-related research will be done with scientists from both sides of the Border to a far greater extent than heretofore.
The new Food Safety Authority of Ireland, whose powers came into force this month, will be largely developed as planned although it is expected to co-operate closely with the implementation body.
But the FSAI will be responsible for enforcement of strong new food safety legislation in the Republic which was passed last summer, particularly in dealing with defective produce, and food outlets and manufacturers linked to food poisoning outbreaks.
It is expected that "enteric reference" laboratory facilities will be set up, based on the degree of expertise available in different centres on both sides of the Border. These are essential to effective and rapid detection of food poisoning organism types when outbreaks occur, and to controlling their spread.
In most instances Irish samples have had to be sent to Britain, which means delays, some of up to several weeks. In cases of E.coli 0157 and salmonella, in particular, delays bring additional risk of serious illness and sometime fatalities.
