Wednesday, 10 December 2003

FOOD REGULATOR REASSURES CONSUMERS THAT IMPORTED HONEY AND PRAWNS ARE SAFE

 

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today reassured consumers that imported honey and imported prawn products on supermarket shelves in Australia are safe. This follows reports to FSANZ from major retailers that consumers were returning products unnecessarily.

FSANZ’s Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Bob Boyd, said recent media reports on Channel 7’s Today Tonight program, claiming that imported honey and imported prawns contain dangerous residue levels of a nitrofuran antibiotic, were simply not true.

‘FSANZ is confident that the imported honey and prawns currently on sale are safe. We have carried out a scientific risk assessment from available test results. The risk assessment shows that the trace levels found of the nitrofuran in honey and prawns were so low you could safely eat at least 400,000 times the amount found.’ Dr Boyd said.

‘Despite claims on Today Tonight, there is no scientific evidence that nitrofurans cause cancer in humans. 

‘However, nitrofurans are no longer registered for use as a veterinary chemicals in food-producing animals in Australia and there is no residue limit for nitrofurans in the Food Standards Code. Although the foods are safe, they do not comply with Food Standards Code. Because of this, FSANZ has instructed the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to test imported honey and imported prawns for this antibiotic. Any food products found to contain nitrofurans will not be permitted for sale in Australia.

‘ FSANZ always takes immediate action if any food is found to be unsafe. We have taken action in the past with withdrawals from the shelves of imported European beef products because of concerns about ‘mad cow disease’ as well as withdrawal of soy and oyster sauces because of high levels of chloropropanols.

‘We would only recommend that these products be recalled if there was a health and safety risk, which is not the case with these imported honey and imported prawns. FSANZ advises both consumers and retailers that they need to take no further action on this,’ Dr Boyd concluded.

 

Media contact: Lydia Buchtmann   FSANZ (02) 6271 2620 or 0401 714 265 mobile