FOOD SAFETY — CONTAMINATED CORNFLOUR 6. SUE KEDGLEY (Green) to the Minister for Food Safety: When, if ever, will the New Zealand Food Safety Authority release both the names of the 30 or so products affected by lead contamination, and the test results which satisfied the Government that products which were not recalled "pose no safety concerns"? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Acting Minister for Food Safety): The member is incorrect in the assumption that 30 products were contaminated with lead from this consignment. Approximately 30 products were assessed. The test results are that four were found to be above acceptable levels, and these products were named and recalled. The rest were below, and pose no safety concerns. SUE KEDGLEY: I will repeat my question: will the Minister release the names of all those products that were tested, and also the test results themselves; if not, how can consumers be satisfied that the products that are not being recalled pose no safety concerns? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: We have every confidence in the testing regime applied. The analogy would be us releasing the names of every single person tested at the roadside for possible drink-driving offences. It would be simply unrealistic if those products were at a standard far below that which we consider to be of any significant danger. GERRARD ECKHOFF: What food does the Minister consider safer — food from the USA that may contain some GM particles, but has been proven to be safe, or food like cornflour from China where no amount of guarantees obtained will ensure that the food is free from GM, lead, or anything else? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: We need to have systems in place that test the safety of food from wherever it comes. For the record, I inform the House that the Food Safety Authority has traced the source of the lead contamination. The information points to contamination from the ship used to transport the corn from China as being the most likely cause. SUE KEDGLEY: Surely consumers have a right to know what is in their food, and especially what contaminated ingredients are in it, and therefore why does the Minister not instruct the Food Safety Authority to release the names and test results of all the products it has tested? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: The Food Safety Authority will name and release the details of all products that are judged to be unsafe for New Zealand consumption. But the many hundreds and thousands of food products that it tests on a regular basis do not need to be named in the public arena because they are judged to be safe for consumption in New Zealand. PETER BROWN: Noting the Minister's answer to a previous question about the contamination likely to have occurred on a foreign ship, does he share my view that that strengthens the case for the development of a New Zealand shipping industry? Mr SPEAKER: That is outside the Minister's portfolio. However, the Minister could make a brief comment if he wishes. Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: I am sure we could trust New Zealand ships perhaps a little better, but we have to rely on the international transportation of products, both in and out of this country. SUE KEDGLEY: Is the Minister aware of media reports that some parents of children who consumed large amounts of the potentially contaminated corn are having their children tested for lead poisoning, and is the Food Safety Authority's constant downplaying of the risks an adequate response to the entirely justifiable concerns of these parents? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: There are many reports on food safety around the world. I am aware of some of those reports, and as I stated yesterday, I hope that parents are offering their children a balanced diet. I am also aware of a UK food standards agency report citing organic baby foods as carrying higher dioxin levels than conventional products. There are many claims around food safety in the world. We have to be very balanced and careful in our assessment of them all. SUE KEDGLEY: What is the Minister's response to the pregnant woman who consumed contaminated cornflour and has no idea of how much lead her foetus has been exposed to, and who has emailed me stating: "I am angry, upset, and terrified that this may have harmed my unborn child."? Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: I encourage that member to be sensible in her comments and not to alarm unnecessarily any New Zealanders, be they pregnant or otherwise. The facts are that it is unlikely that unborn children are at risk because the levels of cornflour used by adults are relatively small. I am sure that that mother, if she is sensible, will have a balanced diet to look after the concerns of her unborn child. It is virtually impossible for that child to be affected.