Topic “NZ food safety” — Exporter Magazine

A survey of visitors from overseas – many in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup – has found two out of three say New Zealand should not allow genetic engineering in food and the open environment, even though some have mixed views about how Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are used in their own countries, according to Scoop.co.nz. Australia and New Zealand’s food standards body has approved an application for higher maximum permitted levels of steviol glycosides in ice cream and several beverage categories, which will enable a more acceptable taste profile in finished products, according to FoodNavigator.com. Public health will lose again as Food Standards Australia New Zealand Authority (FSANZ) is set to approve GE crops designed to survive spraying with a new range of toxic herbicides, according to GE FREE NZ. The Fukushima plant, hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, has contaminated soil, seawater and drinking water as it leaks radiation, prompting local and overseas consumers to seek safer food supplies. Governments worldwide have also curbed imports of Japanese foodstuffs. MAF spokesperson David Crowe said the little food New Zealand imports from Japan is mostly processed, such as sake, soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi. NZFSA specialist advisor, Marion Castle says a significant part of the study will be talking with growers face-to-face about their current practices. Information from growers will contribute to future risk profiles and guidance materials.