This follows reports by the Agence France-Presse from China of the discovery of mushrooms with unsafe whitening agents that can cause health problems, including liver damage and skin allergies, uncovered by an 11-year-old school boy from Beijing and since verified by the China Agricultural University.
Communications and public affairs manager Hugh Tobin said: “This is yet another food safety incident in China that heightens our ongoing concern with the regulation of food production in that country. The reported discovery of these chemicals on Chinese mushrooms is particularly concerning, given the increasing level of imports making their way from China to Australia.
“Overall vegetable imports from China have risen sharply over the past five years. Imports have increased from A$54m in 2005/06 to A$96m in 2009/10. The rise in imports from China is an alarming trend when you consider that, in that time, there have been a number of serious food safety incidents in that country.
“Fresh vegetable imports from China increased from A$13m to A$18m between July 2008 and June 2010. What’s even more alarming, however, is the evidence from our counterparts in New Zealand that many Chinese products are being imported into Australia via New Zealand in order to mask their origin.
“Clearer country of origin labelling that’s enforced by a national authority is required in order to stop misleading acts such as this, and ensure that Australian consumers are fully informed when they purchase vegetable products at the supermarket or the greengrocer.”
Source: AusVeg
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