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Water fluoridation could damage food & drinks exports Minister told printable version

04 Sep 2014: posted by the editor - Business, Health, Ireland

Irish flouridation of water could have a detrrimental effect on food and drinks exports, the Director of West Cork Fluoride Free Campaign and Fluoride Free Towns project has said in a letter to Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food Simon Coveney.

In the letter Mr Coveney wrote: "I'd like to acknowledge receipt of correspondence from your office regarding public water fluoridation and to thank you for seeking prompt clarification from the Minister for Health, Mr. Leo Varadkar on my behalf.

"Further to the letter I sent you dated 13 June 2014, I'd like to reiterate the serious concerns I have of the potential reputational damage and catastrophe the policy of public water fluoridation could incur on our country's very valuable food and drinks export industry. No other European country maintain a mandatory public water fluoridation policy due to health, environmental, legal or ethical concerns and under European legislation I've reviewed, food products containing any medicinal product (fluoride) no matter what quantity, would be considered a medicinal product requiring appropriate certification and regulation within the EU.

"The following EU countries have taken the opposite view to the Irish State including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden and The Czech Republic. Considering these countries never commenced or ceased public water fluoridation, it's clear Irish food products entering their jurisdictions would be in breach of their individual and sovereign stance's taken with regard to public water fluoridation and that a ban on all Irish food products entering their markets until public water fluoridation in Ireland has ceased and Irish food products are no longer contaminated with a European biocidal product, could be a possibility.

"As Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food and being charged with overall responsibility for our country's very valuable food and drinks export industry, I hope you'll give serious consideration to the contents of this correspondence.

"Pending further legal consultations, I shall write to you in due course regarding this matter where I wish to also make a submission to the independent international expert review that you outlined to me during our meeting at County Hall back in March, would be complete by Christmas."

Supporters of WCFFC
Alan Coleman (FF) Mayor of County Cork
Rachel Mc Carthy (SF)
Tim Lombard (FG)
Kevin Murphy (FG)
Margaret Murphy O' Mahony (FF)
James O' Donovan (FG)
Paul Hayes (SF)
Michael Collins (Ind)
Declan Hurley (Ind)
Christopher O'Sullivan (FF)
Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF)
Joe Carroll (FF)
Mary Hegarty (FG)
Noel O'Donovan (FG)
Des O'Grady (SF)
Aindrias Moynihan (FF)
Bob Ryan (FF)
Ted Lucey (FG)

Doctors
Dr. Matt Murphy Marino Medical Centre Bantry
Dr. Sean Dunphy Cork Rd Medical Clinic, Carrigaline

Businesses
6 businesses in Bantry
7 businesses in Clonakilty

Tags: Water fluoridation

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