Nanna's frozen berries Hep A should be a wake-up call

[Mark]

The latest food contamination fiasco about Nanna's frozen berries riddled with filthy hepatitis A should be a wake-up call to Australian consumers proving the only products remotely safe to buy made in China are the things you can't eat!

For years now, I read the packet of all the foods I buy and if it says on the label: product of China, or made from imported goods (particularly China) I will NOT purchase the product. AND, this Hep A disaster is WHY...

I feel sorry for those people who have contracted Hep A from eating contaminated frozen berries because at least they were trying to eat healthy but instead it has made them sick. I hope they sue everyone they can for this unfortunate lack of quality assurance along our food chain.

If people think that due to this latest outbreak the import authorities will lift their game and test more goods to keep us safe then they are sadly mistaken. We cannot trust imported food... period. We cannot rely on our State or Federal departments to keep us safe they are simply too lazy and in some cases over stretched or under staffed.

Unfortunately, these days the only way to know for sure what is actually in your food is to grow it yourself!

 

[Tim C]

I wonder if this will be enough to make the pollies shake up the labelling laws.- "Made from Australian and imported products" just doesn't cut it.
Also the response by government to the deaths and sickness, thus far, has been akin to cover-up and buck-passing. Another on the long list of glaring examples that this system of governance(penal capitalism) DOES NOT WORK for any bar the stinking rich.

Food security is the bigger picture here.

Indubitably these conniving, brainless parasites will find a way to dodge the blame and drag out and dilute any response to the point of ineffectiveness. Food security is not given consideration in any circumstance. Urban sprawl over the most productive land, turning food-bowls into ghettos, is the idealism of city-centric drongoes intent on having every extravagance within hands reach, whilst decimating the regions, where de-centralised communities need to be re-populated and have their essential services maintained and expanded-not de-funded and closed down.
Agreed- we cannot trust imported food, whether quality or availability. So it is best that we grow our own. But less we can trust our politicians and their egomaniacal, self-effacing, idealistic-excuse money-grubbing drivel.
Line them all up against the wall..................
Bring back co-operatives and de-amalgamate country councils/shires. Un-privatise all essential services. Bring back the rail system. Halt city expansion and encourage people back to the regions, where ingenuity, efficiency, community spirit and family values can thrive.
State government is currently a misnomer, for it is city-centric and intent on further decimation of the regions. It is a cancer of hypocracy, lies and slander, consuming the country regions, stripping assets and people, in ignorance of the future perils of such a path. A malignant disease, consuming and smothering all that is good, all that is necessary for life, in its insidious quest for some gay/vegan utopia that will never survive the rigors of this world. A social dilution to the detriment of the Australian identity.
Urban sprawl harbours and breeds the mentality that food security is guaranteed, or unimportant. With no regard to the value of the country, nor the effort and sacrifice of its people.

 

[Mark]

Yeah you make some great points there Tim.

The shrinking of our regional centres and the city centric governance is much to blame so too is the cost pressures on our farmers making it almost impossible to compete with imported products.

We're selling out our health and governments are throwing good money at rubbish whilst neglecting the real meaning of life and community.

I doubt that our imported goods testing and control will improve - this will happen again. Made in Australia doesn't mean made in Australia anymore so if people can the best thing to do is grow your own!

 

[Letsgokate]

As you mentioned Mark people were trying to eat healthy. I agree the best is if we can grow our own. I'm just starting out and have a long way to go with planting and growing my own foods. I have planted 4 blueberry plants to a plan to plant another 4. Love Blueberries, then I can freeze them and have them out of season, instead of buying frozen ones which I currently do. Not every one has the room to grow their own produce so are left to buy what the supermarkets sell, and like all of us people are on budgets and tight on money. Especially families, if a product is being sold in the shops and is assumed to be safe and just as good as the more expensive brand then people are going to go for the cheaper one. I do that myself. So people can't be blamed for buying the cheaper product, hopefully after all this we will all buy more Australian products that will then hopefully drive the prices down a bit.

This season I have an an abundance of mangoes, like thousands, we have given them away to family and friends, I have frozen lots for later. The feedback we have had from everyone is that they are the nicest mangoes they have ever had. Home grown is certainly the way to go, not only do they taste better, safe, cheaper (in the long run) but it is such a buzz when you are eating them to say we grew these.

As far as labelling goes, I agree it needs to be much clearer and larger writing too Due to dietary restrictions I read all and any prepacked food labels, and gee they can be small writing and not clear or hardly any info. I looked on the Coles website this morning to see if they had extra info on the frozen berries they sell, they do. Now why can't they put that same info on the Pkt.

Hopefully all this will lead to clearer labelling and bettery hygine.

 

[Mark]

This season I have an an abundance of mangoes, like thousands, we have given them away to family and friends, I have frozen lots for later.

It's great not to pay $3.50 for a mango in the store isn't it Yep, mangoes, berries, veggies, whatever you can grow (if you can) is so gratifying, healthy, and money saving!

 

[Mark]

Tony Abbott has announced new product labels for packaged food sold in Australia.
The new labels will be required to show clearly what parts and how much of the packaged product is actually Australian via a pie chart.

Good move and about time!

 

[Letsgokate]

Awesome, I heard them saying it was an idea didn't realise they were doing it . Another food scare with the poor people in Sydney who are the tuna that was imported.

 

[Letsgokate]

I am in now way associated with this company but have used several of their products and have been impressed, all Australian made using Australian products. http://www.supersprout.com.au/ For those interested I have worked out that from a cost point of view it works out as resonable value to buy the Blueberry Powder, compared to buying frozen Australian Blueberries. If you do a search on the net you can get them cheaper than listed on their website and some health food stores sell them. If you tie your purchasing in with discount days you can get a pretty good buy. This is until all the blueberry plants I have fruit

I use the beetroot powder and broccoli powder and add them into food and have done the same with some of the other powders. Just depends what's in season as far as using fresh is concerned. I also add the powders to smoothies and for people with fussy kids they can be great as you can hide the veggies in the food

 

[Mark]

Yeah, I saw that too (about the tuna) - it's shocking really because food can only become contaminated or go bad by poor handling. It's actually quite easy to can and store food safely so you have to absolutely stuff up in order to make good food unsafe.

 

[Mark]

I am in now way associated with this company but have used several of their products and have been impressed, all Australian made using Australian products. http://www.supersprout.com.au/ For those interested I have worked out that from a cost point of view it works out as resonable value to buy the Blueberry Powder, compared to buying frozen Australian Blueberries. If you do a search on the net you can get them cheaper than listed on their website and some health food stores sell them. If you tie your purchasing in with discount days you can get a pretty good buy. This is until all the blueberry plants I have fruit

I use the beetroot powder and broccoli powder and add them into food and have done the same with some of the other powders. Just depends what's in season as far as using fresh is concerned. I also add the powders to smoothies and for people with fussy kids they can be great as you can hide the veggies in the food

Cool! I've never seen or heard of these guys before... Nice find

 

[Mark]

Actually, as a substitute to frozen berries organic berry powder wouldn't be a whole lot different nutrition wise and it's probably a lot safer considering the past few weeks
I might even start trying to make my own fruit powers...

 

[Letsgokate]

These powders like many other's are freeze dried so I don't think we could get fruits dry enough to powder. I have dried apple skins before and then whizzed them into a powder that worked well. Apparently you can do the same with mango skins. I have dried blueberries before but they take about 20 hrs and would not have been sutable to powder at that point. If you do give it ago Mark and it works lets us know

 

[Mark]

These powders like many other's are freeze dried so I don't think we could get fruits dry enough to powder. I have dried apple skins before and then whizzed them into a powder that worked well. Apparently you can do the same with mango skins. I have dried blueberries before but they take about 20 hrs and would not have been suitable to powder at that point. If you do give it ago Mark and it works lets us know

Your're right, it's probably not always going to work as good as say making powdered spices because most fruit is high in sugars and tend to stay sticky and no amount of air drying seems to dry them fully. There's always the ice-cube way - pureed fruit frozen in cubes and packed in freezer bags for making easy smoothies. Yes, it tends to fill the freezer which isn't ideal but it works and it's convenient

 

[Letsgokate]

At the moment my freezer has heaps of frozen puree mango, from our mangoes

 

[Tim C]

I've had a glut of tomatoes lately, and have made a heap of sauce and salsa, but the tomatoes are coming thick and fast, so I have been drying them. I dry them until crispy. Some have been dried with salt/pepper/basil and others plain. Also my yellow stuffers have been dried. The last sauce I made I put vitamised dry tomato in to thicken it up and intensify the flavour. Also have dried nectarines, apricots, peaches, melons, plus pineapple, kiwifruit, strawberry and whatever is on special at the shop. We are back to high 20s C during the day, so my apricot drying trays have been retired in favour of the electric dehydrator.
Selecting veges to grow that have a long shelf life is also worth considering. The Spaghetti squash I grew were prolific. They have super hard skins and therefore good storage life. Also an excellent replacement for pasta.

 

[Mikielives]

Pressure canning is a great way to store up foods. I pressure can large amounts of my produce along with local fruit and meats. My wife and I make our preserved foods the core of our diet. Do many of you pressure can? I assumed those of you who grow year around don't can.

 

[Mary Playford]

Do many of you pressure can?

Not yet, I am still learning to can stuff. I make stuff that I can waterbath. Its an addictive new passion and I am loving it.

 

[Mikielives]

Not yet, I am still learning to can stuff. I make stuff that I can waterbath. Its an addictive new passion and I am loving it.

You will get hooked!! I canned 200 quarts of tomatoes this last season along with other foods. A lot of work but I love it. Here is a great site I hope will help you. http://nchfp.uga.edu

 

[Mary Playford]

Thanks for the link Mikie. I hangout in a couple of canning groups on facebook and most of my American friends are canners. I love watching their video. We have an awesome Aussie facebook preserving group too that I love.

I made some chilli powder and flakes from chillis I grew recently. Now, I have a new love for growing chilli. I am a big chook when it comes to hot peppers. Next time I will make some pepper jelly.

I am going to make some Christmas pudding in the jar. I got all my ingredients for 2 different recipes. I will do a Sticky Date and Raisin Pudding too. This will be my first time doing them and I can't wait to try them

 

[LoveInNature]

Thanks for the link Mikie. I hangout in a couple of canning groups on facebook and most of my American friends are canner. I love watching their video. We have an awesome Aussie facebook preserving group too that love.

I made some chilli powder and flakes from chillis I grew. Now, I have a new love for growing chilli. I am a big chook when it comes to hot peppers. Next time I will make some pepper jelly.

I am going to make some Christmas pudding in the jar. I got all my ingredients for 2 different recipes. I will do a Sticky Date and Raisin Pudding too. This will be my first time doing them and I can't wait to try them

Hi Mary I would love to hear how your pudding turns out. Perhaps you and Mickie could start a new thread away from this topic and call it Christmas creations or the like.

It is great to feel your enthusiasm. I would also like to suggest a few workshops over the year where we could gather and do the old fashioned face to face. Just a thought.