Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Despite allergen safety needing to be taken extremely seriously, concerned constituents have provided me with photographic evidence showing that dividers between shellfish and other seafood in the Woolworths deli are insufficiently high enough to prevent cross-contamination. Indeed, the photos even show crayfish tails physically touching scale fish. That's a big deal because, according to the National Allergy Centre Of Excellence, shellfish is one of the most common food allergies in Australia and a major cause of food induced anaphylaxis, with symptoms including breathing difficulties, shock, severe swelling, nausea, dizziness and even death.

I've raised these concerns with Woolworths and the federal health minister, but in both cases the response could only be characterised as dismissive. Yes, I understand the threat of cross-contamination can never be fully eliminated, but for Woolies not to take this matter seriously—for example, by installing higher barriers, as Coles has done, and training staff better—is quite frankly dangerous and disappointing in the extreme. Indeed, Woolworths is playing Russian roulette with public safety, which is why I urge the government to take immediate action and amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to require much more effective separation of shellfish from other foodstuffs. The issue here is not about hygiene; it is about a genuine and serious threat to human life.

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