AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside appeared in media this week in stories reporting on the recall of imported frozen vegetables over fears of potential listeria contamination. Mr Whiteside said that the national recall involved imported produce only, not locally grown produce, and noted that the incidence of Australian-grown products in food safety outbreaks was very, very low. Read the story on the ABC News website.

Mr Whiteside also appeared in print media commenting on the draft report released by the review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. Mr Whiteside noted that Australian growers face heavy pressures from rising input costs which have an impact on their profitability, with the report stating that Australia’s major supermarkets are refusing to accept suppliers’ requests for price rises to cover increasing costs of production.

Mr Whiteside stated that it’s important for supermarkets to engage with growers to understand the cost pressures that growers face, and that supermarkets need to ensure the prices they pay are fair and equitable. You can read the full article in The Weekly Times.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 10 July 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!