Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Ludwig, who also represents the Minister for Health and Ageing. Food Standards Australia New Zealand gave evidence during a recent Senate estimates hearing indicating that the impending ban on the in import of orange juice concentrate containing the fungicide carbendazim was now under review due to lobbying from processors. This is despite a prior commitment from the government as recently as last month that it would ban the import of carbendazim in juice concentrate after the first quarter of 2012. Can the government please indicate how the so-called review of the ban on carbendazim in orange juice imports has progressed?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Xenophon for his question on this issue. I can inform the Senate that food safety and setting health limits for imported food falls within the responsibility of, as he has identified, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, FSANZ. Further, it is the role of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to approve and register the use of particular chemicals in Australia. The APVMA is reviewing carbendazim and in the interim has suspended use on a number of crops including all citrus fruit. As a result of the suspension of carbendazim use the APVMA is currently considering removal of a number of maximum residue limits for carbendazim from the Food Standards Code, including that for orange juice, so that effectively a zero MRL will apply. I am also informed that at present no decision has been made by the APVMA on this matter or on a change to the MRL—that is, while FSANZ conducts a risk assessment for imported products and engages with industry it is important to have industry consultation.

At present Australia does not have a maximum residue limit in place but allows the presence of carbendazim in citrus products at 10 parts per million. The advice of FSANZ is that a 70-kilo adult would need to drink about 140 litres of orange juice in one day to consume an unsafe amount of orange juice with carbendazim present at this level and a child would need to drink about 40 litres in one day. However, the APVMA suspended the use of carbendazim on a range of crops, including oranges, in 2010. This was following a review in 2007 and was focused on the use of the chemical— (Time expired)

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister concede that there is an inconsistency between the ban on the use of carbendazim on Australian crops and the allowing of imports of orange juice containing carbendazim? What impact does this have on the Australian citrus industry?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To be clear, to date there has been no change in policy, and the use of carbendazim is still allowed at the level of 10 parts per million. The Australian juice manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on imported product. Unlike the United States, which is a net exporter of citrus juice, the Australian domestic market is only able to supply about 45 per cent of the needs of the orange juice industry.

I again note for the Senate that FSANZ, the regulator in this area, has not raised any concerns about the presence of carbendazim in the fruit juice Australians are consuming. The APVMA, which deals with agvet chemicals, has an ongoing review in progress. It is consulting with FSANZ on this matter, but FSANZ is not aware of any test results in which carbendazim levels in orange juice have been above this safe level. (Time expired)

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Finally, does the minister concede that there is an inconsistency in that Australian citrus growers are banned from using carbendazim, but we can bring in imports containing carbendazim? What advice does the minister have as to the impact that has on Australian citrus growers, who are struggling after years of drought and now a high Australian dollar in competing fairly with these imports?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Xenophon for his second supplementary question. It is worth going back to what I said earlier to the Senate, which was that a review is underway. The APVMA is reviewing the use of this particular chemical in the agvet area. The APVMA is considering the removal of a number of maximum residue limits—that is, MRLs—for carbendazim from the Food Standards Code.

But it is important to allow the process to run. They do have to consult with the industry. They do have to include risk assessment by FSANZ, which is the food regulator, and until that occurs there is a suspension of the product in Australia. FSANZ, on the other hand, has not raised human health concerns for imported product. But in respect of our domestic market, our domestic processors are heavily reliant on imported concentrate as the domestic market simply cannot meet its demand. The APVMA and FSANZ— (Time expired)