Frozen berry food safety

Forums › Off topic › Frozen berry food safety

gzt

18672 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#185671 1-Dec-2015 12:58

NZHerald

Health authorities are investigating imported frozen berries after four people fell ill with the vomiting virus hepatitis A.

Peter Thomson, of the Ministry for Primary Industries, said "Our investigations to date have not revealed a specific cause, but there is an association with consuming frozen berries.

"Recent outbreaks in other countries also suggest this link."

In February, the ministry said it was monitoring frozen berry imports after a recall of frozen mixed berries in Australia prompted by cases of hepatitis A.

They are not mentioning brands. Does this mean it is not brand specific or they prefer not to ssy because of weak evidence?

1 | 2 | 3

13684 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

#1438668 1-Dec-2015 15:17

I guess NZ reaction might be a little cautious compared to Australia, as we'll reap what we sow in cases of official response to food contamination scares - with the economic consequences far more important to NZ, than for Aus.

Making an assumption that if frozen berries are the source, then they're from China may not be appriopriate. Plenty of berries are or were coming from S America, where Hep A is also far more common than NZ. And it has happened with berries home-grown in NZ, hence the "pick-your-own" places now insist on pickers using alcohol-based hand sanitiser before entering the picking areas.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1438670 1-Dec-2015 15:20

I wonder how this places the vendors of smoothies etc ? I would buy from one now.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1438693 1-Dec-2015 15:59

Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1438695 1-Dec-2015 16:02

Geektastic: Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

We have Blackberry and Boysenberry (thornless) plants in our garden, They are yummy. Especially on top of home made ice cream.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

gzt

18672 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#1438724 1-Dec-2015 16:35

Looks like there was a recall back in May, but that was different.

http://www.foodstandards.govt.nz/consumer/safety/Pages/Frozen-berries-recall-.aspx

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1438738 1-Dec-2015 17:15

MikeB4:
Geektastic: Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

We have Blackberry and Boysenberry (thornless) plants in our garden, They are yummy. Especially on top of home made ice cream.

I can't abide fruit. It has a peculiar 'grassy' smell and taste that no one else seems to be able to smell or taste but I have always hated it, even when I was a child.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1438745 1-Dec-2015 17:30

Geektastic:
MikeB4:
Geektastic: Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

We have Blackberry and Boysenberry (thornless) plants in our garden, They are yummy. Especially on top of home made ice cream.

I can't abide fruit. It has a peculiar 'grassy' smell and taste that no one else seems to be able to smell or taste but I have always hated it, even when I was a child.

Well you cant have any pudding then if you don't eat your veges and fruit :P

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4795

#1438768 1-Dec-2015 17:52

This sort of thing is why I think country of origin labelling should be madatory. That way we are able to easily tell where our food has come from. We have really strong food handling rules in NZ which adds significantly to the cost of production in NZ. Whereas I don't believe there is any way of checking if imported food meets those production standards.
Not sure where these frozen ones are grown in this case, so wonder if they are NZ grown?

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1438784 1-Dec-2015 18:13

Geektastic: Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

With your nutritional preferences, you may not be around long enough for it to matter.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12765

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1438800 1-Dec-2015 18:45

Rikkitic:
Geektastic: Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

With your nutritional preferences, you may not be around long enough for it to matter.

That is rather inapropriate

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#1438804 1-Dec-2015 19:00

MikeB4:

That is rather inapropriate

It was meant lightly but food does matter. If you don't eat fruit or vegetables your body won't thank you for it.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Geekzone support

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1438806 1-Dec-2015 19:04

Rikkitic:
MikeB4:

That is rather inapropriate

It was meant lightly but food does matter. If you don't eat fruit or vegetables your body won't thank you for it.

Meh. Managed 50 years so far and they are likely to have been the best health wise anyway so missing out on getting incontinent and decrepit later in life is not so much of a big loss! ;-)

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1438807 1-Dec-2015 19:06

MikeB4:
Geektastic:
MikeB4:
Geektastic: Frozen or not, they are right up there with broccoli in my book so won't be affecting me at all!

We have Blackberry and Boysenberry (thornless) plants in our garden, They are yummy. Especially on top of home made ice cream.

I can't abide fruit. It has a peculiar 'grassy' smell and taste that no one else seems to be able to smell or taste but I have always hated it, even when I was a child.

Well you cant have any pudding then if you don't eat your veges and fruit :P

Ah, now pudding I like...! Especially things like treacle tart, jam sponge and so forth.

Boarding school education.

Aredwood

3885 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1749

#1438815 1-Dec-2015 19:22

I'm vaccinated against hepatitis A and B. So I'm fine. Although I don't eat berries as they are yet another product that would cost almost nothing to grow. Yet the supermarkets charge heaps for. Especially as alot of farmers consider blackberry a weed that needs to be eradicated from their fields.

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4795

#1438816 1-Dec-2015 19:23

Rikkitic:
MikeB4:

That is rather inapropriate

It was meant lightly but food does matter. If you don't eat fruit or vegetables your body won't thank you for it.

Some people who live to 100 have lived on very bad diets, and even smoked, so it doesn't necessarily mean a longer life, but may increase the risk. Lifestyle and being overweight I believe are more important factors in not living a long life.

1 | 2 | 3