TFGA appalled at double standards on food testing

The contamination scare from imported fruits and berries from China and Chile once again highlights the double standards applying to food consumed in Australia, the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association said today.

“Imported food is not only slipping through the biosecurity net, it has now been shown that too often there is no net to slip through,” TFGA president Wayne Johnston said.

“It is now evident that Australia failed to test any frozen berry imports for harmful pathogens despite evidence in Europe and the US that there were links to outbreaks of hepatitis A.

“That Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has now conceded there is a need for our testing regime to be reviewed is clearly too little too late,” Mr Johnston said.

He said the TFGA, the National Farmers’ Federation, AusVeg and Fruit Growers Tasmania had all complained about the lack of a level playing field for imports and the quality assurance that Australian growers in must comply with.

“Australian governments have opened the gate to imports while increasing the barriers to local produce,” he said.

Australia’s fruit imports have more than doubled in the last 10 years, and now total more than $1 billion a year.

“At the same time, consumers find our labelling systems totally confusing. They have little idea what is grown in Australia and what is imported,” Mr Johnston said.

“We have been saying for years that Australian consumers would be horrified if they knew what conditions some imported foods are grown in and what contaminants could be present.”
TFGA president Wayne Johnston