Food body leads push to zap herbs, spices

By EUGENE BINGHAM political reporter

All imported herbs and spices sold in New Zealand could soon be dosed with radiation following moves to outlaw the alternative method of decontamination.

The push by Australian-based regulators who set food standards on both sides of the Tasman would mean consumers wanting such things as turmeric, paprika and nutmeg would have no option but to buy goods that had been exposed to cobalt-60.

Importers of herbs and spices now use ethylene oxide to decontaminate their products, but the process is due to be phased out under proceedings brought by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) on public health and safety grounds.

Industry groups say the chemical process is safe and want it retained so they can offer shoppers a choice.

They have been joined in their opposition to the ban by environmental group Friends of the Earth, which has accused ANZFA of using a pincer movement on consumers.

ANZFA documents show it intends stopping the use of ethylene oxide from next September 30, citing a report by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research that ethylene oxide produces a slight cancer risk.

At the same time, the authority is considering an application from a Melbourne-based company to irradiate herbs, spices, nuts, seeds and teas.

It is the first time a company has asked for permission to irradiate food.

The first of two rounds of public submissions on the application closed yesterday.

A decision is due around the middle of next year.

An ANZFA spokeswoman said last night that there was a worldwide trend to end the use of ethylene oxide because of cancer risks to workers involved in the process, and to consumers through the residue left behind.

But Friends of the Earth co-director Bob Tait said it was outrageous that ANZFA was about to push irradiated foods onto New Zealand tables.

He was concerned about the doses the Melbourne company, Steritech, wanted to use and was also worried about the potential for "food fraud," because there was no proper way to check whether imported foods had been treated .

A group representing industry interests for companies based on both sides of the Tasman - the Australian Food and Grocery Council - said ethylene oxide had been used for many years without problems.

"There are no significant health problems associated with it," said the council's scientific and technical director, Dr Geoffrey Annison.

"The industry position is that we would like the opportunity to use both treatments because it provides choice not only to businesses but to consumers as well."

The executive director of the New Zealand Grocery Marketers Association, Brenda Cuttress, said ethylene oxide would not be used if it was dangerous to people.

And if the option to use irradiation was available, it was the preferred treatment.

Brenda Cuttress said one of the problems with irradiation was that it had attracted so much public opposition - most of which, she said, was based on unfounded fears.

"Rather like the GM debate, the fear of God has been put into people's minds about food irradiation, so when you are talking about it, nobody will believe you that it's a very safe technique."

Most herbs and spices in New Zealand and Australia are imported from Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

They are treated either at the border or in the country of origin.