NZFSA fails food test, bring on the organics

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Soil & Health is looking forward to the Organics Aotearoa New Zealand Conference at Lincoln University, on Friday & Saturday, following release of NZFSA’s Total Diet Survey (TDS) results.

“NZFSA should reduce the spin it puts in its pesticide residue results and admit that it is pure good luck to find pesticide and heavy metal residue free food,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“The statement that of approximately 199,100 individual analytical agricultural compound residue results, 997 results (0.5%) represented detectable residues, was misleading. The majority of the tests were totally irrelevant to the foods tested and were in fact a by catch from a multi residue screen of 221 compounds, multiplied by about 121 tested foods in batches.”

“Of course most foods do not have anything like 221 pesticides near them and so there are numerous zero detections, but put around the other way, we find that numerous foods have one or more residues. Of 121 foods just 25 had no residues, and some of those would instead have dubious food additives also considered safe by the trade focused NZFSA,” said Browning.

“New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) also fails consumers with its food testing by using the spurious Maximum Residue Limit as a safety guide and takes no account of the cocktail effect of consuming multiple agrichemical residues.”

At Wednesday’s media conference, NZFSA staff downplayed the health risks of chemical cocktails, by saying the total volume of chemicals ingested was the appropriate measure, rather than accepting evidence that some pesticides heightened health effects at low residue levels when mixed in typical food combinations with other pesticides.

““Dose makes the poison,” was the repeated phrase as the NZFSA chemical apologist attempted to hoodwink yesterday’s strong media presence. Suggesting that synthetic agrichemical residues in New Zealand food were no worse than what occurs naturally, and that the Allowable Daily Intake (ADI) limits and MRL’s were all set at such conservative levels that meant that even the numerous non-compliances in the Total Diet Survey were absolutely safe.”

“Soil & Health has another view based on independent science (eg. Lodovici, M. et al 1994,1997) and the continuing withdrawal of agrichemicals when serious health effects are finally acknowledged. For example an organophosphate and also pentachlorophenol, will be withdrawn by the Environmental Risk Management Authority this year,” said Browning, “NZFSA should acknowledge that their ADI’s and MRL’s are just their tool in the absence of knowledge and serious precaution, and should stop fudging the residue figures.”

“Chlorothalonil the active ingredient in Bravo fungicide, is noted and down played in the NZFSA celery and spinach residue results. 16 and 13 results above the MRL respectively for 48 tests each, but the real fact is that celery only had 6 out of 48 tests chlorothalonil negative and 5 of those had other residues. The only one residue free celery sample of 48, would most likely be organic but was not differentiated.”

“Chlorothalonil, a carcinogen, mutagenic environmental toxin, was in all samples of conventional celery tested almost 3 years ago by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Soil and Health. However part of the change is use by growers of different fungicides.”

“Organic celery of course has no such pesticide residues and while not always looking like the nitrate and pesticide compromised supermarket versions, can still be attractive but more sustainably produced.”

“A fresh approach to food is needed in New Zealand and with massive growth in organics internationally, it is time that synthetic pesticide free organic production targets, such as in Soil & Health’s Organic 2020 vision, were taken on for the well being of New Zealand’s environmental and human health.”

Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy People.

1080 A Dirty Green Poison

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The decision by ERMA to allow ongoing aerial drops of 1080 for possum control leaves no real incentive for operators in so-called ‘clean green’ New Zealand to find an alternative, according to the Soil & Health Association.

“ERMA continues to base its decisions on economics, rather than on environmental precaution,” said Soil & Heath spokesperson Steffan Browning. “ERMA is choosing ‘dirty green’ over ‘clean green’. ERMA spin that TB control is part of our clean green image, is rubbish when it is by widespread aerial poisoning.”

New Zealand uses 80% of the world’s production of the often green-dyed pesticide 1080, which is a manufactured chemical compound called sodium fluoroacetate or sodium monofluoroacetate.

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) said in its decision, “it does not give the aerial application of 1080 a green light so much as a flashing amber light – ‘proceed, but with caution.’”

Section 7 of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act requires that those making decisions under it shall take into account “… the need for caution in managing adverse effects where there is scientific and technical uncertainty about those effects.”

“Soil & Health predicts there will be little change to the current aerial drops, which represent 94 percent of the 1080 toxins use.” Says Browning. “The ‘flashing amber light’ lacks the precautionary approach that is required under New Zealand’s international obligations. There is no amber light or sunset clause, just monitoring under economic imperatives.”

“The areas of uncertainty according to ERMA are to be further researched, but ERMA’s recommended studies are not inclusive enough, and the adage that lack of evidence does not constitute lack of effects, must be considered. Studies need to be designed by more than those following the current economic argument. DOC, Landcare, MAF and Forest & Bird all promote 1080 based on economic concerns.”

“Soil & Health strongly shares biodiversity concerns, but knows that very effective control can happen by ground control, and is concerned that those closely interested in biodiversity may be missing strong ecological points as they accept the current economic-based solution.”

“The decision is littered with cost-based comments against ground control and has failed to demand that ground-based control must be used in most instances although most areas are accessible. The current economic threshold used in decision-making must be changed to make ground-based controls financially feasible.”

“ERMA’s message that regular aerial scattering of huge amounts of poison on New Zealand’s picture postcard wilderness is better than employing people on the ground to manage pest control, does nothing for the clean green image that DOC, MAF, and Forest & Bird, the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition refer to when it suits,” said Browning, “Nor will the genetically engineered possum control alternatives (that Landcare Research is experimenting with) be good for the New Zealand clean green brand.”

“Soil & Health sees an organic future where decisions are made considering the full toxic cost, and decisions create economic incentives for solutions that we can be proud of.”o.nz

Successful Therapeutics Campaign needs to push further

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The success of the community in stalling the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill needs to be extended to rolling back Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) decisions allowing risky additives in food, according to the Soil & Health Association.

The Government admitted yesterday that it currently could not get the Therapeutics Bill through Parliament. This comes at a time when there are big questions about the decision by FSANZ allowing the artificial sweetener Aspartame into the food chain, and when the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is unable to control a baby food manufacturer’s use of un-assessed additives.

“Soil & Health congratulates the thousands of therapeutic products consumers and producers who signed our petition opposing a trans-Tasman agency that would have regulated natural products and supplements,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Agencies such as FSANZ and NZFSA appear to operate mostly to facilitate trade, and there is good cause for consumers to resist another such agency.”

“Soil & Health will this morning welcome international anti-aspartame campaigner Betty Martini to New Zealand, highlighting products such as Aspartame, NutraSweet, Equal, E951, Canderel and Benevia, that have been criticised for a range of serious health ailments but have been allowed through FSANZ into widespread New Zealand use.”

Food Standards Australia New Zealand sets food standards for both countries, and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority monitors food to those standards.

“Soil & Health is also concerned that another sweetener additive has been included in baby food by international company Nutricia without the required safety assessment. NZFSA is not even insisting on withdrawal of the product, which shows the legislative flaws,” said Mr Browning, “I expect that FSANZ will push the baby food additive (fructo-oligosaccharide -fos) through an assessment process, as the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA has already given it a tick, and if the corrupted FDA says its fine, invariably so does the trans-Tasman agency FSANZ.”

“While ‘fos’ is often derived for supplement use from natural chicory root, large commercial operations like Nutricia often use the cheap and questionable genetically engineered form. New Zealanders need agencies that reflect deep caution over GE and baby foods and proven risky food additives.”

“The success of consumers against the Therapeutics Bill must be rewarded with a New Zealand regulatory system that reflects the low risk of most natural products, but uses effective precaution and genuine independent research, in decisions about the synthetic food ingredients that international big business pushes,” said Mr Browning.

Soil & Health has a vision of an Organic 2020, free of risky synthetic and GE food ingredients.

Time to ban aerial spraying here too

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COMBINED MEDIA RELEASE:
Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa NZ
Soil & Health Association
Safe Food Campaign

“Congratulations to the European Union for their enlightened approach to protecting human health and the environment by progressing plans to ban aerial spraying of pesticides”.

That’s the message today from Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa NZ, the Soil & Health Association and the Safe Food Campaign.

The EU’s Environment Committee has endorsed plans by the European Commission for a ban on aerial spraying of pesticides as part of a wide-ranging strategy to cut down the use of pesticides.

“Its time now for New Zealand to also look at banning aerial spraying of pesticides” said Dr Meriel Watts of Pesticide Action Network. “Far too many people have had their lives blighted by aerial spraying in both rural and urban areas of New Zealand. Terrible health effects have resulted from the aerial spraying of the herbicide 2,4-D; and the adverse effects of the unnecessary spraying of West Auckland for the Painted Apple moth are still being felt.”

“Many horticultural growers have lost valuable crops to drift from the aerial spraying of 2,4-D” added Steffan Browning of Soil & Health. “Soil & Health often receives complaints of cross-boundary spray drift.”

“ The aerial spraying of highly toxic insecticides such as chlorpyrifos is still permitted in New Zealand, even though this insecticide is known to cause adverse developmental effects in children and has been restricted in the US” said Alison White of the Safe Food Campaign.

The three organisations, which have been trying to combat pesticide problems in New Zealand for many years, also welcome other initiatives by the EU and urge the New Zealand government to be equally proactive in reducing pesticide use here.

These initiatives include:

* A national pesticide use reduction target of 25% within 5 years, and 50% within 10 years, including non-agricultural uses
* A system of levies on pesticides to fund the reduction plan
* Ban on pesticides in all areas used by the general public (e.g. parks, school grounds, residential areas) and in “substantial no-spray zones” around them.
* A buffer zone of 10m around all water courses
* Using the ‘substitution principle’ whereby more dangerous substances will be removed from the market if safer alternatives exist

“These are all very good measures that will certainly contribute substantially to improved public health and environmental integrity”, said Dr Watts. “New Zealand has dragged its feet for many years on this issue, trying to shuffle it under the carpet and manage the problems by talking with industry. But progress has been too slow. Until this country is prepared to take a firm stand on pesticides the issue will not go away.”

”One of the major problems New Zealand has failed to deal with is the unregulated non-commercial uses.”

“Right now untrained home gardeners can access all kinds of toxic herbicides and are enthusiastically waging war on weeds, with no clue about the toxic effects of the herbicides they are exposing themselves and their neighbours, too – let alone the effects on the wider environment” said Dr Watts. This is simply no longer acceptable in so-called developed country.”

“Soil & Health has recently requested that ERMA reassess home gardeners access to pesticides,” said Steffan Browning.

The European Committee stressed that only quantitative use reduction targets in the national action plans will push governments to lower the amount of pesticides used. The Member States are urged to promote low pesticide-input farming and organic farming, giving priority to non-chemical alternatives.

New editor at Organic NZ

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New Zealand’s leading magazine on organics and sustainable living, Organic NZ, has a new editor.

Adelia Hallett joins the magazine this month and begins by producing the September/October issue.

Organic NZ is published by the Soil and Health Association, an organisation established in 1941 to promote sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Co-chair Steffan Browning said that Ms Hallett was a good fit for the magazine.

“Adelia has a strong background in journalism and the organics sector, and we are delighted to welcome her as editor of Organic NZ,” he said.

“New Zealand is at a critical point, where it must choose its path for the future. We believe that New Zealand can be organic by 2020, but can only be achieved through public pressure.”

“Organic NZ has a huge role to play in helping people to understand the vital link between healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people.”

Ms Hallett has worked in newspapers around New Zealand, including the New Zealand Herald, and is now freelancing and specialising in environmental reporting. She lives with her family on a smallholding on the Kaipara Harbour and is involved in local organic organisations.

Mr Browning paid tribute to the work of previous editor Allan Baddock in building Organic NZ into the country’s leading magazine on organics and sustainable living.

“Organic NZ has a huge reputation for its credibility and authority, and we thank Allan for his role in developing that,” he said.

Picton’s toxic gas use lacks consent

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Methyl bromide fumigation at ports around New Zealand needs urgent reassessment, according to the Soil & Health Association, following the Marlborough District Council’s refusal to require their Port Company to apply for resource consent to discharge the toxic gas to the Picton environment.

“Port Marlborough has no idea where the gas is going after fumigation covers are pulled off the export log stacks’, said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“The ozone depleting neuro-toxin methyl bromide gas is under contention as it is implicated in 6 Port Nelson workers deaths by motor neuron disease, yet Picton has far less controls than Nelson. Low temperature inversion layers in calm winter time conditions may be particularly dangerous, considering the findings in District Health Board reports for neighbouring Port Nelson gas dispersal modelling.”

“With no Picton air movement modelling to predict the contamination area of the highly toxic, odourless and tasteless gas, workers and tourists in the Port and ferry terminal area, and the greater Picton community may be at risk during every log shipment.”

“The Code of Practice in Picton has not been available to the media and on my inspection showed lack of substance and no community input. The Code of Practice has not been peer reviewed by the Labour Department or Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA).”

“Conflicts of interest between councils with RMA regulatory functions, their council owned dividend generating port companies and the responsibilities of staff need scrutiny, especially Unitary Authorities as in the Nelson Marlborough region, which does not have a regional council”, said Browning.

“The problem however extends nationwide with capture and destruction of methyl bromide fumigant not used with export logs anywhere in New Zealand, and little truly independent monitoring .”

“Responsible methyl bromide fumigators internationally are capturing the gas rather than participating in ozone depletion and risking the health of communities. Log exporters in clean green New Zealand need to lift their game. Methyl bromide is 50 times more damaging to the ozone layer than banned CFC refrigerants.”

“Soil & Health want to see an urgent reassessment by ERMA of methyl bromide use nationally, and immediate precautions on discharge at Picton and other ports.”

“Clean alternatives to neurotoxin ozone depleting gases must be implemented in keeping with Brand New Zealand’s clean green 100% Pure image, and Soil & Health’s vision of an Organic 2020.”

GE brassica decision lacks justification

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Today’s Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) decision approving a Crop and Food application to field trial brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and forage kale) genetically engineered with a toxin derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt), lacks justification in New Zealand’s new era of sustainability, and is full of contradictions, according to Soil & Health’s spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“ERMA has yet to decline an application for a GE field trial, and appears to look for a way to approve, regardless of how shonky the application is. This shows that ERMA is biased towards genetic engineering in clean green New Zealand, regardless of the community’s opposition,” said Mr Browning, adding, “that not running food safety feeding trials ahead of field trials of GE crops is a nonsense.”

“Why grow a crop that is potentially toxic to humans and animals for ten years without first establishing if it is even potentially edible?”

The ERMA Committee states that “GM brassicas will be prevented from entering the human food chain and a further application to the Authority for a release approval would be necessary before effects on food safety and food choice would arise. Therefore, the Committee did not consider the effects on food safety and food choices further for this application.”

“That the GE Bt brassica’s are ultimately intended for commercial release, yet have not undergone feeding studies to ensure food safety, makes this trial a serious potential waste of tax payers money, said Mr Browning, ” Animals are sick and dying in India from eating cotton also modified with Bt toxins and cotton workers have health issues. Feed studies also show health risks from other Bt engineered crops.”

“The ERMA decision appears to be predicated heavily on upskilling of scientists and increasing experience in working with gene technology in the field. The decision expects marginal public benefit however, and ERMA states, “This beneficial effect will accrue to the applicant and the staff involved in this field test and is considered to be of minimal value. A public benefit accruing to the wider scientific community when papers are published describing the research and its results (particularly in the area of impacts on the soil biota of GM plants) would be of minor value. However, this may be very unlikely to be realised.”

“Despite ERMA receiving 941submissions of objection, many advocating an organic alternative for New Zealand and the overwhelming desire for a clean green country, the ERMA decision merely states, “Given the contained nature of this field test, the Committee did not identify any significant adverse effects on society and community.”

“New Zealand’s markets are already concerned with food miles, and will not like the signals that clean green NZ is intending commercial production of GE vegetables sometime”, said Mr Browning.

ERMA’s decision in considering alternatives, states, “The Committee considers that the primary goals of this field test are to assess the agronomic performance of these GM plants under natural environmental conditions, the resistance of GM brassicas to insect pests, and to assess the environmental impacts of these GM brassicas.”,

and after suggesting the field test, “provides a valuable opportunity for experimental work to assess the impacts of GM brassica plants on the soil biota, non-target organisms, and the persistence of DNA sequences and Cry proteins in the soil.”,

then states, “The Committee notes that there is some uncertainty regarding the potential for meaningful information on the environmental impacts of growing GM brassicas to be obtained given the limitations of scale inherent in this field test.”

Soil & Health points out however funding was uncertain for the limited work that ERMA notes as valuable, that other Crown Research Agencies would be required to assist in, and spokesperson Steffan Browning, adds that, “it would be wasting resources considering public opposition and the unlikely commercialisation of the brassicas, if the current level of security required to protect GE trial crops was to be continued.”

In considering the potentially significant adverse effects on the market economy, ERMA states, “that since this application is for a small-scale contained field test with a fixed time period after which all plants will be removed, the potentially significant adverse and beneficial effects associated with this application are not economic in nature.”

However New Zealand farmers, the community and customers of the riches of a clean green land may see it differently according to Mr Browning and the ramifications of field tests trialling GE food crops, although at risk of sabotage, will send messages contrary to that of Prime Minister Helen Clark’s desire for New Zealand to be the worlds first truly sustainable country, and National’s John Key a week ago, “New Zealand’s clean green environment is vital to the Kiwi way of life and vital to the image New Zealand sells to the world,” both messages that Soil & Health agrees with.

Soil & Health will be discussing with other groups, potential further action against the field trial, as it is committed to true sustainability and a GE Free future.

MAF dinosaurs must stop robbing sustainability budgets

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Soil & Health welcomes the budget initiatives around true environmental sustainability announced yesterday, including the household sustainability programme and the public recycling scheme, and the $800 million investment quoted by Environment Minister Benson-Pope, “to take a big step towards New Zealand becoming the world’s first truly sustainable nation”.

However the big money will be sustainability rhetoric when it comes to primary production unless there are major changes within MAF Policy, according to Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning, adding, “The recent MAF Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change discussion document, contained the word organic just once in 90 odd pages, and that was in the glossary, showing a remarkable and critical level of sustainability ignorance coming from that institution.”

“Best practice organic systems support high yields with low off farm impacts and significant carbon sequestration achieved, as shown in research such as the US Rodale Institute studies, showing organic methods are far more effective than conventional methods at taking CO2 from the atmosphere and fixing it as beneficial organic matter in the soil.”

The 23-year study calculated that if 10,000 mid sized U.S. farms converted to organic production, it would be equivalent to taking 1,174,400 cars off the road, or not driving 14.62 billion miles.

Former British Environment Minister Michael Meacher told a 2004 Soil Association conference in Edinburgh, that that government must boost organics to help Britain meet its Kyoto targets. He also highlighted the Rodale Institute research, which also found that soluble nitrogen fertilisers in conventional farming destroyed soil biota that trap greenhouse gases.

“Current New Zealand dairy pasture research, theoretically in a sustainability direction, includes nitrite and urease inhibitors, with one inhibitor giving off cyanide in the presence of acid. What message does that give to our trading partners when we market the riches of a clean green land and to consumers looking to a truly sustainable future”, asks Browning.

A new research fund, allocated in Budget 2007, will bolster New Zealand’s international leadership position in helping the agriculture and forestry sectors respond to climate change, Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton and Climate Change Minister David Parker announced yesterday. The ministers said New Zealand needed and wanted to develop its role as a world leader in agriculture and forestry research on climate change.

“To be world leaders and maximise research dollar benefit, MAF needs to acknowledge and begin multiplying the best of organics significantly beyond current organic sector budgets”, according to Browning, “Brand New Zealand is waiting”.

“The Prime Minister put sustainability at the heart of the government’s agenda when she opened Parliament in February, yet some Ministries struggle with acknowledging the mistakes of the past and are set on more of the same.”

“The Soil & Health Association of NZ sees improved government support for the organic sector as an important solution to primary production climate change hurdles, and supports the Prime Minister’s aim of a truly sustainable New Zealand. But change the guard for a truly sustainable nation with an international point of difference: Nuclear Free, GE Free, clean and green, and heading to an Organic 2020.”

Improved market access good for NZ sustainability

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Soil & Health is grateful for the efforts of New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) staff in supporting BioGro New Zealand’s drive for better access for New Zealand organic produce into the demanding Japanese market.

It was announced on Friday that BioGro NZ Ltd received Recognised Foreign Certification Organisation (RFCO) status with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

Previously, New Zealand organic producers exporting to Japan needed approval by a Japanese certifier, as well as inspections in NZ by BioGro. BioGro’s new RFCO status with Japan MAFF will allow direct certification to Japan’s organic standard, JAS, using BioGro staff without the need of the Japanese certifier and the extra bureaucracy. NZFSA and BioGro had worked together for the outcome.

“Better access to high value organic markets means more environmentally sustainable New Zealand food production, and increased healthy organic food available for New Zealand consumers as extra production builds’, said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning, “the sustainability benefits for New Zealand by improved organic market access at this time cannot be overestimated. Reports show fertilizer use in conventional production remaining at highly unsustainable levels, causing off farm pollution”, he added. “Organic production is significantly more sustainable”.

BioGro was formed in 1983 through the efforts of the Soil and Health Association, The Bio Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association and the Henry Doubleday Research Institute, to promote organic production and to develop a set of credible standards against which production of organic produce could be measured. BioGro remains New Zealand’s leading organic certification agency.

“Soil & Health knows that BioGro and NZFSA have worked hard to achieve the improved access, and sees the outcome as an example of how the organic sector and government agencies can work together,” said Mr Browning. “This is in contrast to the recent MAF discussion paper, Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change, that totally missed the opportunities afforded by organic production to address climate change mitigation”.

“It is important that MAF Policy acknowledge and embrace the opportunities that organic production can give New Zealand in added value, high premium returns while enhancing New Zealand’s environmental sustainability and market image”.

“Clearly NZFSA has appreciated those advantages. A truly sustainable New Zealand primary production sector with top value branding, will be achieved more easily when government embraces the Organic 2020 target”, said Mr Browning.

Yes to Organic Exemption from Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification

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The Soil & Health Association is pleased that efforts to have organic bread exempted from mandatory fortification with folic acid appear to be successful.

As part of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) review, released last night, of its 2006 Final Assessment Report which proposed mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid, FSANZ is proposing that bread in New Zealand represented as organic be exempted from mandatory folic acid fortification, should fortification be implemented as intended.

“An exemption allows organic products to remain free of synthetic ingredients, maintaining the integrity of the organic label, and also provides consumer choice”, said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Thanks to efforts by Soil & Health, Organics Aotearoa New Zealand, The Green Party and others, Food Safety Minister Annette King brought up the issue of organic products at the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council meeting in October 2006”.

As part of the Review initiated by the Ministerial Council, FSANZ was tasked with examining and providing further advice on a range of issues relating to the mandatory fortification proposal.

Mandatory fortification with folic acid is seen by the Ministerial Council as a possible means of reducing the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs).

The proposal would mean nearly all bread in New Zealand would be synthetically fortified in order to reduce by 20%, the estimated 70 pregnancies affected by NTDs.

Soil & Health had submitted that organic products must remain free of synthetic ingredients, consumers must have choice, and that mass medication is not a suitable alternative to a strong healthy diet campaign and education regarding risks of NTDs.

Soil & Health had also pointed out the difficulty in compliance with mandatory fortification by small organic flour millers and bakers.

The Issues Paper which is open to further submissions by April 18 includes advice to FSANZ from the New Zealand Commerce Commission and its Australian equivalent, “that consumers are likely to expect that foods labeled ‘organic’, or ‘certified organic’ have ingredients derived from living organisms without the use of chemical fertilizers and/or pesticides, and would not contain synthetic vitamins such as folic acid”.

“With regard to organic representations of foods, it is the opinion of the NZCC and the ACCC that the use of the term ‘organic’ in relation to foods fortified with folic acid (without clear and meaningful qualification) may mislead consumers into believing that the product is the result of organic processes and thus may risk breaching the New Zealand Fair Trading Act 1986 or the Trade Practices Act 1974.

“Australia and New Zealand have a number of national organic certification bodies, none of which have identical standards. Organic standards however generally do not currently allow synthetically produced substances into organic production systems, and vitamins and minerals are generally not permitted.”

“Soil & Health remains opposed to the mandatory fortification of all bread, but is pleased that the integrity of organics is being supported by the Food Safety Minister Annette King, the Commerce Commission and FSANZ”, said Mr Browning.