Organic Lobby Calls for Origin Labels

"Organic agriculture advocates say the discovery of pesticides in imported Australian vegetables support calls by mainstream growers for country of origin labels on this side of the Tasman.

The insecticide dimethoate found in Australian capsicum labelled as "Product of New Zealand" in an Auckland supermarket, was a clear breach not only of voluntary origin labelling at the Woolworths supermarket but of the Fair Trading Act, the association said in the September issue of its Organic NZ magazine.

It alleged that a "NZ Hothouse 3Pack Capsicum" appeared to have been "topped up" with Australian produce dipped in dimethoate.

Dimethoate, a systemic organophosphate insecticide, is used as an insecticidal dip to kill the Queensland fruit fly in produce imported from Australia to New Zealand. It is difficult to rinse off."

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