Ireland's food safety systems 'failed spectacularly'

Ireland's food safety systems failed "spectacularly" during the recent pork contamination crisis, it has been claimed.

According to an official report, there were too many agencies involved in policing food safety and the disaster could end up costing the taxpayer around 200 million euros (£173 million), the Irish Independent reports.

An Oireachtas Agriculture Committee said that a single body should be formed to oversee "all aspects of the food chain including animal feed".

The report concluded that the Food Standard Agency of Ireland's system of outsourcing inspections had to be reconsidered.

"The service contracts mechanism spectacularly failed to achieve its objective and has been demonstrated that it is not adequate for the task with which it is charged," it stated.

Ireland was forced to recall its pork products last December after dioxins were found in slaughtered animals.