ATS Newsbrief March 2014
Recent media attention placing grapes at the top of the new ‘Dirty Dozen’ has propelled the use of agri-chemicals in to the spotlight once again.
Neal Shaw, Group CEO
Released by the Safe Food Campaign several years ago, the ‘Dirty Dozen’ referred to a list of New Zealand grown foods that have been shown in surveys to be more likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues. It included foods such as celery, wheat products, tomatoes, kiwi fruit, apples, cucumber, peaches, strawberries, oranges, lettuce, pears and potatoes.
Last month grapes were added, with the Safe Food Campaign’s Alison White pointing to new research that indicated grapes analysed from supermarkets showed 35 different pesticides in the total number of samples with 98.2% containing residue. For consumers, the difficulty is what to believe.
Upcoming Events
18 March, 22 April and 20 May Farm Safety Manual and Training for Members For more information or to RSVP, call 0800 BUY ATS (289 287) or go to www.ats.co.nz/ farmsafety
Upcoming Industry Events
Milksmart: The Next Generation 11 March Ashburton 13 March Oamaru These events have sessions including Smart Water Use, Managing Mastitis, Plant Optimisation, Stockmanship and more. For more information, contact Catherine Ibell at catherine.ibell@dairynz.co.nz.
Yes, some foods will contain pesticide residues, but not at harmful levels, meaning conventionally grown foods are still safe to eat. Crop protection products are heavily regulated, with constant testing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) examines the impact on humans and the environment, while the Ministry for Primary Industry (MPI) regulates the residues in food. Products are only approved for use only if they pose no greater risk to consumers than food grown without their use.
8 March
There are two standards that relate to residues in our food – the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) and the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). The MRL is the highest concentration of residue allowed in food crops or animal products at harvest or sale and is legally enforceable. They are not safety limits but are set well below levels which are known to produce any adverse health effects.
Ballance Farm Environment Awards: Canterbury
The ADI is set using an internationally-agreed procedure to estimate how much of a compound can be consumed without having a toxic effect on the body. Extensive tests are carried out on humans and animals to determine the ‘no observed adverse effect level’ (NOAEL). The difference between animal and human studies, and between the most sensitive and least sensitive individual, is taken into account by dividing the NOAEL by a safety factor of at least 100.The final figure is the estimated acceptable daily intake for humans based on how many milligrams of a chemical you can safely consume per kilo of your bodyweight every day from birth to death. MPI estimates that globally, even with modern agricultural chemicals, pests account for pre-harvest losses of more than 40% of the potential value of output (15% insects and 13% each to weeds and pathogens), plus an additional 10% of the potential value is lost post-harvest. Whether you support agricultural chemical use, organic farming or something in between, at the end of the day, consumers want to have accurate information based on science, not emotion or media hype.
Mayfield A&P Show
15 March Methven A&P Show
20 March These flagship awards find and celebrate role models, who show how an environmentally sensitive approach can be part of a profitable farm business and can inspire and motivate others by example. The focus is on practical solutions that support farm business goals, as well caring for the environment. Entrants seek to have a ruler run over their enterprise to provide a personal benchmark, and to share their ideas and expertise with the wider farming community. For more info, please email Jocelyn Muller, Canterbury BFEA co‑ordinator or call her on 027 549 7724.
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