Ireland's Agriculture Committee has heard allegations of food origin labelling issues on supermarket shelves. Mayo TD Paul Lawless told the committee that products advertised as supporting Irish farmers were not always sourced in Ireland.
Lawless presented examples from retail shelves, including vegetables and processed products, where packaging and shelf labelling indicated Irish origin while product labelling listed countries outside Ireland and, in some cases, outside the EU. "My time is very short, but there is a litany of food labelling abuse. Let's call it what it is. This question is for all of you – how is this happening?" he said. He asked what inspection regime and penalties apply in such cases.
Examples cited included broccoli labelled as originating from Ireland and Spain, carrots described as Irish on shelf labels with Scotland listed as origin, and products marketed with Irish branding while ingredients were sourced from EU and non-EU countries. He also referred to herbs labelled as Irish with origin listed as Kenya and Spain.
Food Safety Authority of Ireland chief executive Greg Dempsey told the committee that checks are ongoing. "In 2025, we undertook over 7,000 checks in respect of labelling in retail," he said, referring to oversight activities under the current legal framework.
Public commentary has also addressed Irish-branded products such as honey labelled as organic under the EU logo while listing origin outside Ireland. "I understand the need for a small business to make money and hit certain price points, and there's nothing illegal here, but I think it's really important that consumers know what they are getting," said Mick Kelly, founder of GIY.
The issue highlights ongoing scrutiny of food origin labelling, inspection levels, and supply chain transparency within the Irish retail sector.
Source: Gript
