Government's 'woeful' and 'shameful' testing of imports costs Australians: SPC
SPC Cannery, Shepparton ( Photo : Libby Price)
The Victorian fruit and vegetable processor has long called for food labelling law reform and is running a social media campaign to boost its case, in the wake of a health scare.
The cannery said it wanted improved testing of imported produce, clearer labelling for consumers and stronger recognition of the standards of Australian grown food.
The Federal Government has pledged to review country-of-origin labelling laws and has placed a holding order on frozen berries from two Chinese factories.
SPC managing director Peter Kelly said he had taken evidence of substandard, imported food being sold on Australian supermarket shelves to the Federal Government but had been disappointed by the response.
"It's been woeful. I think it's shameful," Mr Kelly said.
"I think the government has to act and they have to act on more than just country-of-origin labelling.
"That product in the hepatitis A [frozen berry] scare was clearly labelled from China and the problem was it wasn't tested."
Mr Kelly said the evidence supplied by SPC Ardmona to politicians included company testing of cans of imported fruit sold by competitors.
He said testing showed breaches of Australian food standards for heavy metals like lead in the imported food.
Mr Kelly said the time was right for the Federal Government to improve the testing of imports.
"They should dramatically increase the testing on products until they are assured that it is not happening any more," he said.
Mr Kelly is in his final weeks as SPC managing director, after announcing in January he would leave the role.
ABC Rural has contacted Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce's office for a response.
Source : ABC Rural Warwick Long March 5th 2015
