Smoothie fans are being warned frozen berries should be boiled before they are eaten, with Ministry for Primary Industries posters about the precaution being displayed in only some supermarkets.
The health advice warns customers against consuming raw or uncooked imported frozen berries, recommending boiling or thoroughly cooking them in the oven or microwave instead.
MPI says it was issued as a measure in response to the Hepatitis A outbreak linked to Pams Frozen Mixed Berries.
According to the New Zealand Food Safety agency, determining the precise origin of the recent outbreak has proven challenging due to the various countries where the berries may have come from, as well as the diverse methods of handling and processing involved.
That is why Deputy Director-General Vincent Arbuckle has said the current guidance applies to all imported frozen berries, rather than only the specific brands subject to the recall.
“The posters you refer to were provided by us to supermarket chains as part of our efforts to slow and eventually halt the current outbreak,” said Arbuckle.
But the blanket advice has consumers confused, supermarket chains divided, and local suppliers outraged, further fuelling the frozen berry controversy.
Supermarket chains divided
According to MPI, posters were given to Foodstuffs, Foodstuffs South Island, and Woolworths New Zealand in November 2022 for use in their stores. Some of these posters were only recently displayed last week in Pak'nSave, New World, Four Square, and Gilmours stores.
Foodstuffs spokesperson Emma Wooster said they took the information extremely seriously.
“We’ll continue to share the advice with our customers by way of signage in-store so customers can make informed choices around their consumption of frozen berry products,” said Wooster.
Woolworths New Zealand on the other hand, which operates Countdown, Super Value, and FreshChoice supermarkets, confirmed to 1News they decided not to display them.
When asked why, Countdown said it “decided not to display the posters as the focus of the investigation moved to brands of berries that we don’t sell”.
New Zealand Food Safety previously stated the point of the posters was not to target a specific brand.
“Supermarkets were asked to display them in stores to help share our advice to consumers to reduce the risk to the public,” said Arbuckle.
However, Arbuckle says they are not required to, by law.
Despite questions to Countdown, they maintained they always follow MPI's instructions “on these types of matters”.
Consumer New Zealand Communications & Campaigns Adviser Abby Damen said, “any food safety risks should always be clear and well communicated to consumers at the point of sale”.
Frozen berries suppliers outraged
Suppliers of frozen berries say they were not consulted about the blanket boil warning and only found out about it once the posters were up.
Some, who wanted to stay anonymous, said the advice has been “dramatic” and “financially damaging".
Oob Organic owner Robert Auton, whose products are supplied to both Foodstuffs and Woolworths New Zealand, expressed disappointment in the blanket warning which he said unfairly puts the whole industry under notice.
“One brand was quite likely the suspect and from one country,” he said.
Oob Organic’s orchard is based three hours south of Santiago, Chile, which the Auton's visit annually.
Orchard Gold owner Jason Foord agreed with Auton’s comments and added that it was “upsetting” the posters went up without consultation.
“The blanket warning in the poster was 'OTT',” he said.
When asked about that consultation, MPI said it worked with supermarket chains, and umbrella organisations, like the NZ Food and Grocery Council, to share the information.
“These organisations shared the information with their membership,” says Arbuckle.
Orchard Gold supplies frozen berries to Woolworths New Zealand and has a range of products marketed specifically towards smoothie making.
And they are not the only company with such products; The Berry Fix Snap Frozen Mixed Berries, which are currently stocked across Foodstuffs, have packaging that outlines their product is “for smoothies and baking” too.
Consumers left confused
Parents 1News spoke to say they have no idea whether to eat frozen berries or not, and some have even cut it out of their children’s diet because of their confusion.
When questioned about the safety of using frozen berries in smoothies, New Zealand Food Safety acknowledged that while this was a popular way of consuming the fruit, they reiterated their recommendation that all imported frozen berries should be boiled before consumption.
“Our advice is to boil the berries first, then refreeze them in ice cube trays, other containers or bags,” said Arbuckle.
1News was then directed to this video which outlines the steps for making frozen berries safe for consumption produced by MPI on YouTube.
So, how big is the risk?
New Zealand Food Safety says there has been an elevated food safety risk associated with frozen berries, which have been linked to major foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls both domestically and internationally.
These include harmful bugs such as hepatitis A virus, norovirus, shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and salmonella which can be particularly harmful to people with weakened immune systems, including young children, elderly people, and pregnant women.
It’s for this reason they have decided to target all products with a blanket boil warning.
New Zealand’s hepatitis A outbreak timeline
Aziz Al Sa’afin explains the link between Serbia, Hepatitis A and frozen berries. (Source: 1News)
In mid-January 2023, a batch of Pams mixed berries was recalled due to a possible risk of Hepatitis A, with a link to berries from Serbia.
In total, 478 500g bags were available at four South Island stores, with a best before date of August 14, 2024.
It was revealed the bags should not have been on the shelves in the first place because they were part of the same batch of berries recalled in October 2022.
Ten bags of the berries were sold.
At the time, Arbuckle said 35 Hepatitis A cases were linked to the first October outbreak, with nine people going to hospital.
Both Ford and Auton are part of a working group that is in consultation with MPI over the response to New Zealand’s Hepatitis A outbreak.
In light of the boil notice, Ford proposed an alternative solution to of simply banning the import of berries from Serbia as New Zealand Food Safety continues to investigate.
In response, New Zealand Food Safety says it has taken action to bolster the regulations governing berry importation and supply.
Arbuckle says the aim is to ensure that all frozen berries meet high safety standards, thereby providing consumers with peace of mind regarding the safety and suitability of the products they purchase.
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