Australian citrus growers have called for greater scrutiny of food imports following the discovery in Brazilian orange juice of an outlawed fungicide that could cause infertility and testicular damage.
Citrus Australia, a peak industry group representing the nation’s growers, says the government needs to step up testing procedures on imported citrus juice.
The chemical residue scare came to light in the United States after a major juice manufacturer alerted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it had detected low levels of carbendazim, a dangerous fungicide, in its own orange juice.
Studies have found that carbendazim could cause infertility and testicular damage in laboratory animals.
Citrus Australia CEO Judith Damiana says over 300,000 tonnes of oranges are imported to Australia every year in the form of cheap Brazilian orange juice concentrate.
“We call on the Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service (DAFF) to immediately increase testing of all imported citrus juice for chemicals banned in Australia,” Ms Damiana said.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) suspended the use of carbendazim by citrus and turf farmers in 2010 while it reviewed the health effects of the fungicide.
Riverina Citrus chairman Frank Battistel said he hoped the Australian government was treating the matter as seriously as the US authorities, which suspended all imports of foreign orange juice on January 4.
“Brazilian juice concentrate can be found in products on shelves across Australia,” Mr Battistel said.
“We are not aware of any current activity by any Australian safety or regulatory body in regards to this potential public health issue, despite this being public knowledge in the United States for the last two to three weeks.”
The chemical has been isolated to Brazilian orange juice, which accounts for a major section of citrus imports in the US.
The citrus industry is encouraging consumers to buy safe, branded local products.
