NEWS
SNIPS
Peter Yealands,
founder of
Yealands Wine
Group, has been
convicted on five
charges relating
to construction
work that
breached
consent
conditions
on south
Marlborough
land that saw
two streams
dammed and
sediment
dumped
Don’t get
left behind…
that’s the call
from the New
Zealand Dental
Association,
which says the
government
needs to act
on measures
to reduce
sugary drink
consumption
My Food Bag
CEO Kevin
Bowler has been
inducted into
the TVNZ-NZ
Marketing Hall of
Fame, one of the
most prestigious
honours in
marketing
Zespri Group
- the country’s
kiwifruit export
marketing body
- is expecting
profits to surge
to around
$180m in the
coming year as
it grows volumes
and seeks to
maintain values
in “challenging”
markets with
higher volumes
of low-priced
fruit.
A needle found in a strawberry imported into New Zealand
has seen Aussie fruit cleared from retailers here. The move
follows the news that a mango was sold with a small needle in
it, prompting fresh fears over Australia’s fruit crisis. New South
Wales police have confirmed that a customer bought a mango
with the sharp item inside it in West Gosford. The find comes
soon after retail giant Woolworths temporarily pulled sewing
needles from its stores, after at least 100 reported cases of the
objects being inserted into strawberries nationwide. Needles
were first reported in strawberries in the state of Queensland,
but they've since been found in all six Australian states, in at
least six brands. There are also isolated cases of needles in a
banana and an apple. Australia exports strawberries to Hong
Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE and New Zealand.
Buyers in Russia and the UK have blocked imports, and
the Australian government has upped its penalties for food tampering.
Many of the strawberry incidents are thought to be hoax
or copycat attacks, including one carried out by a child who
admitted the ‘prank’ to police. Strawberry Growers NZ executive
manager Michael Ahern says the contamination scare across
the Tasman will have no major impact on the market here. In the
next fortnight, most New Zealand growers will start production
for the beginning of the season, and new stock will be hitting
shelves shortly so there will be no noticeable shortages here.
FOOD TERRORISM
IN AUSSIE FRUIT
NEWS
BACK OFF
OUR NAME
FRUIT CRISIS
WORSENS
As New Zealand’s major supermarket chains halt the distribution
of Australian strawberries after sewing needles are found in fruit
imported from Australia, a Kiwi expert says food terrorism and
illegal behaviour in national and international supply chains is
not new and remains an ever-present threat. Massey University
professor of quality systems Professor Nigel Grigg says wilful
sabotage and illegal behaviour is almost impossible to guard
against, since inventive individuals can potentially adulterate
product with metal, glass, wood, biological or chemical hazards
and contaminants – with past examples including dead animals
and bodily fluids. “The more complex and internationalised a
supply chain becomes, the harder it is to have effective control
New Zealand dairy farmers are up in arms over what they
call alternative drink producers ‘milking the public’ over
the naming of their products. An international movement
of dairy farmers and organisations is demanding the term
‘milk’ should apply only to the drink that comes out of the
udder of a cow, sheep or goat, and not from an almond
nut or soya bean. The latest salvo in the war between dairy
and alternative producers is a product called Milkadamia,
squeezed from macadamias and processed by United
States retailer Walmart. With a 17.6 per cent dollar share,
almond milk is the most popular non-dairy 'milk' in New
Zealand, and is growing the fastest in dollar terms (at
23.8% dollar growth compared to last year). Demand for alternative
‘milks’ is on the rise, with Nielsen saying its latest
data shows the alternatives are growing at a rate of 7.6% in
dollar sales compared to last year, with fresh dairy milk at
4.5%. The company says while sales of alternatives are still
a small fraction of total fresh milk sales, dairy farmers are
nervous about their rate of growth.
PLANT MILKS
HERE TO STAY
Plant milks have none of the drawbacks of fats from animals
and their products, the New Zealand Vegan Society says.
“They contain no cholesterol and some, like soy, actually
work to lower cholesterol levels, which is terrible news for the
manufacturers of statins,” spokeswoman Claire Insley says.
“Around the world countries are updating their nutritional
guidelines to increase the daily recommended fruit and veg
portions, and reduce the recommended dairy and meat
ones, and doctors are coming to the understanding that
a plant-based diet is healthier for you for many different
reasons. Plant milks are here to stay and while some
countries are arguing over what to call them, no one
can deny their health benefits.”