Joyce pushes tougher food laws

A BROAD review of food safety and tougher labelling laws have been flagged by Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says the govenment has a duty to respond to the berries Hepatitis A outbreak. Picture: Kym Smith

A BROAD review of food safety and tougher labelling laws have been flagged by Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce in the wake of the hepatitis A outbreak linked to imported berries.

Mr Joyce last night told The Australian that the potential scale of the crisis, which could see ­hundreds stricken, meant the ­government had a duty to respond with a meaningful review of the “overall” food safety system.

The government’s response to the outbreak, which has seen at least 13 people infected and hundreds of schoolchildren and childcare infants placed on a watch for symptoms, yesterday descended into confusion.

Tony Abbott initially claimed that “100 per cent of these sorts of imports are now being screened” but government representatives later said this only applied to berries from a single Chinese supplier, and it was not government testing.

Grower and consumer groups have demanded immediate action to ensure that frozen berries — and other imported fruit and vegetables — are microbiologically tested for organisms linked to human diseases.

Mr Joyce, whose department carries out tests on imported foods, said this was a “good discussion to have” but suggested his hands were tied. The testing regime was set by the independent Food Standards Australia and New Zealand and he could not act without their recommendation. “We do the testing asked of us,” he said.

A broad review of the “overall system” of import inspection and food safety was justified, once the immediate outbreak was dealt with. Incidents such as these, Mr Joyce said, encouraged review.

“It implores you to have a strong, decisive look at it and if you want to call it a review, that’s what it is. The first rule (of government) is do no harm.”

The current testing regime does not test imported fruit and vegetables, including frozen berries, for pathogens such as E. coli, listeria and salmonella; only for chemicals, because they are not classified as “risk foods”.

The government has asked FSANZ to review the low-risk or “surveillance” status given to frozen berries, but farmers accuse FSANZ of failing to keep pace with global events.

More than 1440 cases of hepatitis A linked to frozen berries have been reported across Europe since January last year and Ireland’s food safety authority has ordered imported berries to be boiled ­before being eaten, to kill the virus and other pathogens.

The Prime Minister has not ruled out reform, but has vowed not to allow any changes to ­increase the cost of imported goods.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten yesterday demanded a “full ­account” from the government of how the “alarming and confidence-sapping” crisis had been allowed to occur.

FSANZ defended its failure to act sooner, telling The Australian contamination occurred “even with the best food safety practices”.

“The risk from contamination is more effectively managed through the supply chain, such as through supplier arrangements,” its chief executive Steve McCutcheon said.

Additional reporting: Eli Greenblat