The recall of hepatitis A infected frozen berries has highlighted the importance of stringent checks on produce brought into Australia.
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Nanna’s frozen berries and Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries were recalled after health authorities found the product was linked to the illness.
It is believed the berries were infected at a processing factory in China, because of poor sanitary standards.
The incident has put the spotlight on Australia’s food security and the standards of products coming from overseas.
The ramifications of this don’t just stop at personal infection.
In yesterday’s edition of the Mercury, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service urged anyone who has eaten recalled frozen berry products and donated blood on or after November 1 last year to contact them immediately, with fears the infection could spread through blood donations.
The long-term effect of this incident could be a complete overhaul of food regulation and labelling in Australia.
Greens MP Christine Milne reintroduced a federal bill last week that called for country of origin labelling to be mandatory. This would make it easier for consumers to be well-informed about where the product comes from before making the choice to buy.
And maybe that is all consumers want – the choice.
The popularity of farmers’ markets, such as Maitland’s Harvest Market, is a testament to this.
Whether sipping a latte among the fresh food, or out to grab fruit for a nutritious raw smoothie, more and more people are embracing the farm-fresh movement.
While there has always been a benefit to the local economy in buying straight from the farm gate, it also allows consumers to get back to nature and appreciate the seasonality of the fresh produce industry.
With the news of infected berries, there is no doubt more people will turn to local alternatives to get their produce.