Australia to tighten food labeling laws after hepatitis A outbreak
Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced his administration’s plans to implement tougher food labeling laws following an outbreak of hepatitis A allegedly linked to frozen berries from China.
The premier announced on Thursday that his agriculture and industry ministers would submit a proposal to the cabinet by late March on the mechanism of tightening the controls of imported food.
“With imported food in particular, people want to know more about where their food, where their products, are coming from,” Abbott added.
According to Industry and Science Minister Ian Macfarlane, the country-of-origin labeling law requires products to feature large symbols showing whether the content was made in Australia or imported as well as displaying the percentage that comes from Australia.
Nanna’s and Creative Gourmet brand raspberry and mixed berry products (pictured above), sold by an Australian food maker, Patties Foods, were recalled after reportedly being linked to some 18 hepatitis A cases across Australia this month.
Australian health authorities fear that the number of hepatitis cases would rise.
The products were packed in China in poor hygienic conditions caused by contaminated water believed to be from a polluted river in Shandong Province near their packing factory.
Hepatitis A is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver and produces a variety of symptoms, including severe headache, rapid heartbeat, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue.
In most cases, the infection is relatively short-lived and people recover within a couple of months.
HJM/HJL/HMV
Iran, Azerbaijan top brass underline military, defense cooperation
New Zealand: Maori MPs protest in parliament with Haka war dance
Malaysia working on resolution to expel Israel from United Nations
Diplomat discourages recourse to pressure, intimidation, confrontation against Iran
UN: 2024 deadliest year for aid workers amid genocide in Gaza
Gaza health official warns of hospital shutdowns within 48 hours
Israel kills 5 more paramedics in southern Lebanon: Health ministry
Iran to launch ‘new, advanced’ centrifuges in response to IAEA resolution: AEOI
Yemen fires hypersonic missile at Israeli airbase
VIDEO | New Delhi chokes under toxic smog as air quality remains at hazardous levels
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
