22 April 2004

So, what about the chemicals in our food?

NZFSA to release Total Diet Survey and other monitoring programme results

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority will next week release the available results of its 2002/2003 monitoring of chemical residue status of New Zealand’s food supply, including the second quarter of the Total Diet Survey, and the Animal Products Residue Monitoring Programme, and Dairy Monitoring Programme.

This is the first time that a range of results from a number of monitoring studies has been available for release. The 2002/2003 programme is the most comprehensive undertaken in New Zealand, and results will be of interest to a wide range of producers, consumers, exporters and trade groups.

This advisory has been issued to inform editors and journalists of a media conference at which the results will be released and the various programmes explained.

Science, health, agriculture, business and other journalists with an interest in New Zealand’s status as a producer of safe food are invited to attend the conference. Details are:

Place: New Zealand Food Safety Authority, Level 7, Telecom House, 86 Jervois Quay, Wellington Time: 2 pm, Monday 26 April. [Note: copies of reports and other information will be available from 1.30 pm. The results are embargoed until the completion of the conference, scheduled for 3pm.]

Format: a short presentation of the results, followed by questions from the floor to be answered by a panel of NZFSA experts RSVP: to allow us to provide ample space and seating we would appreciate an indication of your intention to attend, with numbers. Please also advise any special requirements for cameras, lighting and microphones. RSVP to Gary Bowering: gary.bowering@nzfsa.govt.nz, ph (04) 463 2504.

The monitoring programmes have covered a comprehensive range of New Zealand foods, both at the production stage and at the point of sale to consumers.

Full details will be released on Monday 26 April.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>