Fish can come from sewers: Ian McDonald
by Leon Gettler
Former federal minister Ian McDonald wants restaurants and fast food outlets to disclose the source of fish they serve customers.
“You do not know whether it comes from Australia or Vietnam or the sewers of some southeast Asian country," Senator Macdonald told parliament.
Senator McDonald wants rules forcing supermarkets to identify whether fish is Australian or imported to be extended to restaurants
He said Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) was the "problem".
Legislation imposing technical changes to FSANZ and tightening up its rules was passed by the Senate on Wednesday.
Senator Nick Xenophon said it was a critical issue.
"My problem with FSANZ is that it can be relied upon by the government of the day as a reason not to do something as obvious as tell a restaurant or takeaway shop's customers whether the fish they're purchasing for immediate consumption is Australian or not," he told the Senate.
"In a supermarket, you know where fish comes - 20 metres down the road, you've got no idea."
5th February 2016
