PMAC weekly update 18th to 25th March

1. New Zealand News: Foreign Minister to visit Indonesia and Turkey; Export NZ’s Trade update; Fruit fly in Auckland; Kiwifruit growers' PSA case: Judge took right approach – lawyer; Court told Seeka deserves the right to claim post harvest operator losses; Flower supplies run short as the sea of floral tributes in Christchurch; Kiwifruit workers urged to shop around in New Zealand; Nelson family business: Feijoas year-round.; Going beyond quality inspection; New technology will help ; Seeka a busy time both operationally and strategically; The continuance of kiwifruit’s golden run; Apricot growers excited by the release of new varieties; North Island avocado scheme going for growth; Right food at the right time is key to restoring our body clock and gut health

2. International news: GAIN reports; The EU fruit and vegetable sector: Main features, challenges and prospects; Origin of organic agricultural products often still untraceable”; European justice forces access to reports on glyphosate; Prognosis 2030: declining consumption of apples, peaches and nectarines; Turkey: Major producer and exporter of fruit and vegetables; Turkey: Major producer and exporter of fruit and vegetables; Facts to Consider About the "Dirty Dozen" List; EWG updates 'Dirty Dozen' list; Produce crops now set to benefit from heat treatment expansion; Clēan Works announces new way to clean food products without using water; Researchers of the WUR present the latest methods for improving quality of fruit and vegetables; Dry ice in containers results in better quality soft fruit; Researchers make plant disease breakthrough

Editors commentsInnovations the word in the New Zealand section this week. Agrichain have developed a dashboard for their customers that will easily allow exporters to bring together their test and inspection results. The dashboard will provide exporters with an understanding of packhouse and grower performance. To support blockchain another article reports on a NZ report on the AsureQuality Food Trust Framework which is currently in its pilot phase. This framework is designed to reassure Chinese customers about the source and history of New Zealand food. Also, in the NZ section is more detail on the new apricot varieties bred by P&F which hopefully will do for the Summerfruit industry what P&F varieties have done to build the apple and kiwifruit industries. These sorts of projects are just what we need to maintain our edge in the International market place.

The International section has a wide range of articles. Continuing with the technology theme there is an interesting article on the power of blockchain. Then if you export to China there is a must-read gain report that talks about the potential in 2nd tier city . The pesticide residue debate is highlighted with the release of the American Dirty dozen report naming those fruit and vegetable with higher levels of pesticide residues. This article is countered by some interesting facts from the Alliance for safe farming and food in the USA which provides a range of good facts to counter the emotion in the dirty dozen claims.

1. New Zealand News

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1.1. Foreign Minister to visit Indonesia and Turkey Winston Peters travelled to Indonesia and Turkey last week for High Level Dialogue on Indo-Pacific cooperation, hosted by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Full article available here

1.2. Trade update March Brexit One commentator has referred to the Brexit process post PM May’s letter seeking a timing extension as being “as clear as mud.”  This is absolutely accurate. The EU said Britain could postpone its departure, due on March 29, until May 22 If the twice-rejected deal is thrown out again, the bloc says Britain has until April 12 to "indicate a way forward". 

China The PM is due to visit China as early as 1 April.  This is a good sign.  Both China and New Zealand are trying to avoid differences and tensions spilling over into the public domain.  There is no evidence of any impact of Chinese displeasure at New Zealand Government actions on our trade relationship. Don’t expect much that exciting in the China FTA upgrade. Full article available here

Commentary 1.3. Fruit fly in Auckland Controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the Auckland suburbs of Devonport and Ōtara have been lifted after no further fruit fly have been found there. The decision follows several weeks' of intensive trapping and inspections of hundreds of kilograms of fruit leading to the conclusion that there are no breeding populations of Queensland fruit fly in the Devonport area, or Bactrocera facialis (facialis) fruit fly in Ōtara. Full article available here

1.4. Kiwifruit growers' PSA case: Judge took right approach - lawyerLast week, Crown lawyers told the Court of Appeal the High Court misinterpreted the Biosecurity Act and other legislation when it upheld the kiwifruit growers' damages claim relating to the PSA outbreak. However, the growers' lawyer, Alan Galbraith QC, told the court last week there was nothing in the Crown submissions to show the judge was wrong in her conclusions. This article runs through the reasons presented in court. The case will have concluded by the end of the week, with the judges expected to reserve their decision. Full article available here

1.5. Court told Seeka deserves the right to claim post-harvest operator losses The New Zealand Court of Appeal has heard submissions that the High Court erred in its decision not to award major produce company Seeka the right to claim damages in its role as Post Harvest Operator (PHO).Seeka submitted that MAF owed it (and others) a duty of care in its capacity as a PHO, rejecting that the previous judgement which found that losses "are not of a kind that are

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sufficiently distinct from others who suffered economic losses in some way because orchard production was affected by Psa”. The rationale’s presented are outlined in this article Full article available here

1.6. Flower supplies run short as the sea of floral tributes in Christchurch Thousands of flowers from elaborate bouquets and wreaths to bunches of hydrangeas from home gardens and bundles of indigenous flax flowers now lie at the foot of the wall beside the Botanic Garden's Peacock Fountain. The demand has stripped florists, supermarkets, dairies and garages of their flowers, forcing the local flower market to order extra supplies from growers. Full article available here

1.7. Kiwifruit workers urged to shop around in New ZealandWhile a kiwifruit industry group says its surveys showed an expected average picking rate this season of $23.50 an hour, a worker advocate disputed this, saying that as picking was often at piece rates some slower pickers were falling below minimum wage. The 2019 harvest starts in mid-March; With the green and gold kiwifruit harvest was forecast to be higher than last year’s, with about 18,000 workers are needed.

Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Nikki Johnson says a lot of incorrect information existed about working with kiwifruit, making it harder to recruit people who would otherwise get a lot out of seasonal work. “That includes the pay rates – they are actually very competitive.”

While many kiwifruit pickers were paid piece, rates based on how many cartons of fruit they picked in a day, others were on an hourly rate. “There is a huge range in the types of employers and the types of pay systems,” says Nikki. Employers expected to pay an average $23.50 an hour this season, but the range went from minimum wage to the high $20s.“We are encouraging people to find employers that are paying well and look after their workers. People that are physically active can easily earn in the high $20s without working long hours. Most low skilled packhouse roles were minimum wage which will rise to $17.70 an hour on April 1, says Nikki.

In 2017, 56 percent of kiwifruit workers were New Zealanders, 22 percent backpackers and 17 percent Recognised Seasonal Employer workers from the Pacific Islands. Full article available here

1.8. Nelson family business: Feijoas year-round.An article about a 10 hectare feijoa orchard in Tasman, that is drying Feijoia and calling them ‘Little Beauties’ The company has just signed up with a North Island distributor, and are in talks with exporters in China, Hong Kong and Australia. Wastney is pragmatic about the company's potential. "Drying feijoas is not new, but no one has done it to the scale we have." He gives it a year or two before this changes, and larger operations catch on to the idea. Full article available here

1.9. Going beyond quality inspectionNew Zealand is known as a producer of high-quality horticultural produce. Exporters source these products from growers and packhouses but do not see individual lines prior to export. The task of

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independent quality inspection and assessment of the product falls to specialist assessors such as The AgriChain Centre. The AgriChain Centre developed and launched a Dashboard Analysis Tool during the 2018-19 New Zealand cherry season. We are now working on extending it to other crops including the berry fruit category. The Dashboard graphically reports, in an easy-to-read format, data collected during our independent quality inspections.

The Dashboard provides exporters with an understanding of packhouse and grower performance. It also puts businesses in an excellent position to strengthen relationships with their suppliers and work on any quality improvements identified. An example of information reported is comparison between packhouses, growers and varieties on the level and type of defects, brix, firmness and pulp temperature.  In addition, to periodic reports during the season, an end of season report is also available. Full article available here

1.10. New technology will help A new report states primary industries may be able to use blockchain and distributed ledger technologies to help capture high-value niches. They can connect the sector more directly to consumers through supply chain innovations. Callaghan Innovation and blockchain venture studio Centrality commissioned the report which is written by author Joshua Vial. The AsureQuality Food Trust Framework is an example of work providing an export and tracking service for local, high-quality food producers. NZ Post AsureQuality (AQ) and NZ Trade and Enterprise collaborated with Alibaba and local blockchain companies Trackback and Sylo. The project is currently in a pilot phase after a 14-month developing phase. The report states that Chinese consumers consider fraudulent activity to be a barrier when accessing safe food. Through consumer scanning an AQ Assured Assurance Mark on their phone, meaning they are able to check their product is genuine and safe. The project also helps NZ producers to connect directly with Chinese consumers and remove intermediaries. Full article available here

1.11. Seeka a busy time both operationally and strategically Seeka has started the year will with real momentum as it continues its growth strategy. Having completed a successful NZD$50m capital raise late in 2018, the Company announced the acquisition of Aongatete Coolstores Limited in early March 2019 for NZD$25m.

“It has been a busy time both operationally and strategically for the company with the drive to become New Zealand’s premier produce company,” said Michael Franks, CEO. “We have throughout the first quarter of 2019 been harvesting plums, pears and nashi in Australia, with Australian Hayward kiwifruit about to commence. The middle of this article provides a great summary of some of their developments over the last year

A continuing concern for the Industry and Seeka was the continuing shortage of labour. “ Seeka had continued to innovate to hire more New Zealand workers. In the latest venture Seeka had joined with Ngati Haua of Whaharoa to transport people from Whaharoa to its Huka Pak site at Mount Maunganui. This latest venture complimented other initiatives where Seeka transports workers from up to 1.5 hours’ drive away from Murupara and Rotorua. Full article available here

1.12. The continuance of kiwifruit’s golden runThis season, the SunGold kiwifruit variety is set to overtake the Hayward variety for the very first time. Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron stated that 79 million trays of SunGold will be sold this year,

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versus 70 million trays of Haywards. This marks a huge breakthrough for the industry because it was SunGold that “rescued” it from the ravages of PSA in 2010, he says.

On top of SunGold now dominating, Zespri expects kiwifruit exports to be closing in on $5 billion by 2025, Cameron says. “We are sitting at about $3b now in 2019 and our growth projections based on the 700ha we will release for the next three years will produce revenue of about $4.5b.”The growth is part of a planned Zespri strategy dating back to the PSA days -- not a commodity bubble. While Zespri is reaping the financial benefits of SunGold, it is not resting on its laurels and will trial a new variety of red kiwifruit in NZ and Singapore.

Red kiwifruit are relatively easy to grow but the challenge has been to  develop a red variety with a sufficiently long shelf life. “It’s a different fruit to handle as opposed to SunGold, but I think the challenge we have as an industry is to overcome those. It could be three to five years before we have faith in it and understand its behaviour through the supply chain.” Full article available here

1.13. Apricot growers excited by the release of new varietiesThree "game-changing" New Zealand apricot varieties have just been commercially released to growers this season. The new trees produced their first fruit this season since being planted several years ago, but it will be another few years before commercial quantities are picked and marketing of the fruit gets underway – both domestically and overseas. The new varieties are the result of a partnership between industry group Summerfruit NZ and Crown Research Institute Plant & Food Research. There have been apricot breeding programmes for the last 40 years and, over the last 15 years, these have responded to customer demand for a more brightly-coloured fruit with lower acidity and higher sugar levels.

Summerfruit NZ believes the new varieties have everything the export markets want in their fruit, particularly those in Asia. While another advantage is that the fruit produces low levels of ethylene (a naturally occurring ripening agent), meaning growers have a longer picking window each season.

While it is still early days for the new varieties, growers have been keen to explore the new opportunity, visiting orchards in Central Otago and the Hawkes Bay and sampling the new varieties for themselves. New growers coming in too," The new apricot varieties come at a pivotal time for the Summerfruit industry, with Summerfruit NZ getting ready to begin a series of new market driven innovation projects to be known as Sensational Summerfruit.

"Sensational Summerfruit is a really bold plan for our industry and we expect it to lead to a trebling of sales figures for apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums," Summerfruit NZ chief executive Marie Dawkins said. Summerfruit NZ has been working with the Ministry for Primary Industries to develop a Primary Growth Partnership which will invest more than $16 million in projects to be rolled out over seven years. Marie notes that Primary Growth Partnerships focus on making transformative change to an industry and Sensational Summerfruit will definitely be transformative. The projects will cover everything from customer preferences right through to picking, packing and shipping.

"While the new apricot varieties have been in the pipeline for some years, it will be Sensational Summerfruit initiatives that build on this groundwork and get the new fruit to customers here and overseas once it’s available in commercial quantities," Ms Dawkins said. Full article available here

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1.14. North Island avocado scheme going for growthAccording to Freshmax avocado programme manager Jim Tarawa, the avocado investments underway in the Far North will have a better productivity curve than more southern North Island orchards. The reason: The production season is less acute in the Far North. In Bay of Plenty, for instance, biennial production can drop from full production to zero, whereas in the Far North there is a much smaller variation between seasons from the peak. “We are seeing most new investment in avocados is in the Far North; it is a unique part of New Zealand,” Tarawa says. Full article available here

Bits and pieces1.15. Right food at the right time is key to restoring our body clock and gut healthEating right is a strategy to control the harmful effects of poor sleep, a common problem in modern society. Fibre-rich foods consumed at the right time may help restore our body clocks by improving our gut microbial balance. Our bodies have a natural internal clock – or circadian rhythm – that is designed to regulate our activities (like sleep and wakefulness), and can be influenced by external cues. Modern-day stressors and dietary habits affect our energy and disrupt not only our body clock but also the circadian rhythms of millions of microorganisms that live inside our gut and regulate our digestive system. 

Plant & Food Research scientist Dr Shanthi Parkar says, “Delays in evening meals or bedtime are increasingly common due to lifestyle choices, long work hours, shift work, or frequent travel in different time zones. Manipulating the microbiota is a promising strategy to restore our body’s circadian rhythm and state of equilibrium. Thinking about what and when we eat might provide natural strategies to modulate our microbiota. Plant foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables are a rich source of fibre and polyphenols that are important sources of nutrients for our gut microbiota.” Plant & Food Research works with a variety of foods - including berries, cherries, kiwifruit, leafy greens and cereals - that support the growth of favourable bacteria in the gut. Dr Parkar is investigating the impact of consuming these nutritious foods during the day and limiting food intake before bedtime, as restricted feeding has been shown to help restore circadian rhythms. Full article available here

2. International news

Comment 2.1. GAIN reportsGain reports are from the “Global Agricultural Information Network” and are produced by the USDA. They are designed to provide timely information on the economy, products and issues in foreign countries that are likely to have an impact on United States agricultural production and trade. The information in them is written for USA exporters but the majority is equally relevant to New Zealand. With regard to import regulations for a particular market New Zealand exporters should first check the countries ICPR on MPI’s web site. These are collated specifically for New Zealand product. However, the Gain reports often provide additional information that is useful e.g. on grading and labelling, economic profiles. This week see:

a) Canada Country Report Safe Food for Canadians Regulations entered into force on January 15, 2019.   Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Ottawa_Canada_3-7-2019

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b) China Second-tier Cities Offer First Rate Sales Opportunities China’s second-tier cities, many of which have more residents than the largest U.S. cities of Los Angeles or New York, boast growing populations, increasing disposable incomes, upscale retail development, savvy e-commerce customers, and improved cold chain and distribution networks. China now has over 600 cities that fall somewhere within the tier system, Second-tier Cities Offer First Rate Sales Opportunities _Beijing ATO_China - Peoples Republic of_3-15-2019

c) Dominican Republic Annual Country Report This report summarizes the key technical and import requirements for food and agricultural products Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Santo Domingo_Dominican Republic_3-13-2019

d) Dominican Republic Export Certificate Report This report describes the major export certificates required Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Santo Domingo_Dominican Republic_3-14-2019

e) Egypt Planting Seeds Sector Overview – A Growing Opportunity for U.S Egypt’s agricultural sector is a dynamic, fundamental component of the economy.  Agriculture accounts for 11.7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) (2017 estimate).  Since the inception of the modern seed industry in Egypt (1922), seeds are an important input for raising agricultural productivity.  Egypt Planting Seeds Sector Overview – A Growing Opportunity for U.S_Cairo_Egypt_3-14-2019

f) EU Adopts New Directive on Unfair Trading Practices On March 12, 2019, the European Parliament formally adopted the new EU Directive on Unfair Trading Practices in the Food Supply Chain. The motivation for this legislation is to rebalance power among farmers, food processors, and retailers.  The Directive forbids certain commercial practices EU Adopts New Directive on Unfair Trading Practices _Brussels USEU_EU-28_3-18-2019

g) Guatemala Exporter Guide This report provides general economic and business information in GuatemalaExporter Guide_Guatemala City_Guatemala_2-11-2019

h) Indonesia Country Report This report provides updated technical information for requirements and regulations on food Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Jakarta_Indonesia_3-18-2019

i) Indonesia Export Certificate Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Jakarta_Indonesia_3-19-2019

j) Poland Annual Country Report Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Warsaw_Poland_3-13-2019

k) Romania Annual Country ReportThis report provides an overview of the Chilean Sanitary Regulation of Food (RSA by its name in Spanish) currently in force.   Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Santiago_Chile_3-11-2019

l) Serbia Certificate Report This report provides guidance on the certificate requirements for agricultural and food products imported into the Serbian Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Belgrade_Serbia_12-19-2018

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m) Serbia Country Report This report provides information on Serbian regulations and standards concerning food, agriculture, Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report_Belgrade_Serbia_2-20-2019

Regulatory

2.2. The EU fruit and vegetable sector: Main features, challenges and prospectsFruit and vegetables accounted for approximately 14 % of the total value of the EU's agricultural production in 2018. Apples and tomatoes are the main products of the richly diversified produce of the EU's fruit and vegetable farms. Mostly small-sized with relatively high labour input, these farms earn incomes ranging from average (for fruit specialists) to very high (for horticulture specialists, including also flower and ornamental plant production). EU trade in fruit and vegetables is characterised by the predominance of internal over external flows, where the EU is traditionally a net importer.

The EU has in place a comprehensive support system, especially through the regulatory framework for the common organisation of the markets in agricultural products to support these sectors. It will be its capacity to overcome its structural vulnerability and weak organisation, adopt innovation and respond to consumer needs that will shape its future. Click here for the full brief. Full article available here

2.3. Origin of organic agricultural products often still untraceable”A lot of organic products sold in the European Union can’t be traced back to their producer. Sometimes it takes more than three months to trace them, according to a study conducted by the European Court of Auditors whichconcluded that the control system has improved and that earlier recommendations have generally been obeyed. However, a number of shortcomings continue to exist: the use of enforcement measures when implementing sanctions for non-compliance isn’t harmonised throughout the EU, and authorities of the member countries and supervisory bodies were sometimes slow to report cases of non-compliance. For more information, please see the report The control system for organic products has improved, but some challenges remain Full article available here

2.4. European justice forces access to reports on glyphosateThe General Court of the European Union (TGUE) ruled that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should allow access to toxicity and carcinogenicity studies of the active substance of glyphosate, a herbicide that the World Health Organization warned about in 2015

The court annulled two EFSA decisions that denied access to details on studies related to the most used and controversial herbicide in the world, used by multinationals such as Monsanto, and that the European Commission (EC) agreed in November 2017 to renew its license in the European Union (EU) until 2022, despite the opposition of countries like France. An EFSA spokesman said

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they welcomed the ruling and added that the decision "is important because it gives guidance to EFSA and others charged with interpreting EU legislation on public access to documents." Full article available here

Business/ Industry2.5. Prognosis 2030: declining consumption of apples, peaches and nectarinesIn a recent report, the European Commission examined the developments in agriculture for a medium long period. A close look was taken at the market for apples, peaches and nectarines, among other products. This resulted in good news in general: a slight increase in consumption is predicted. This article gives a lot of analysis on production , markets etc . Only the headlines are listed below.

“In the next ten years, the consumption of fruit and vegetables is expected to rise slightly,” the researchers concluded. The most important motives for the growing consumption are health motives and the increasing availability thanks to ‘new’ sales points such as filling stations and snack bars. Breaking down this general trend, a more nuanced image appears, and each individual product won’t find its way up according to that.Expectations for organic production are positive.

Apples –consumption of apples is falling at about 1% per annum. Peaches and nectarines – opportunities for export In recent years (2012-2017),

consumption increased by three per cent per year on average. That was mostly the result of more availability and low prices. Due to the Russian boycott, Europe lost its most important export destination for this fruit. It’s looking better for the coming years. This improved situation is mostly thanks to new markets that are entered and the assumption that Russia will reopen its borders in 2019.

Tomatoes – growth thanks to snack segment The production of tomatoes for the fresh market will remain practically stable. In the report, a decrease of 0.3 per cent per year is estimated until 2030. However, the production will increasingly focus on tomatoes with a higher added value, such as cherry, cocktail and other small tomato varieties. Full article available here

2.6. Turkey: Major producer and exporter of fruit and vegetablesTurkey is a superpower when it comes to the production of fruit and vegetables, and they have a spot in the global top five. With an export of 3.3 million tonnes of fresh fruit and more than one million tonnes of fresh vegetables. The export is firstly focused on Russia and countries in the Middle East. In recent years, a lot of Turkish fruit and vegetables have been sent to Iraq as well. About a fifth of the Turkish export of fresh fruit and vegetables is focused on the EU. The most important EU countries for Turkish export are Romania, Germany and Bulgaria. Again a lot of hard data in this article Full article available here

2.7. Block chain isn’t just a technique, it gives complete transparency”Block chain is the buzzword of 2019. In fact block chain is seen as a universal remedy. Everything you can do with block chain, you could also do with another application. You don’t need block chain for that. Programming is more difficult in these other applications, but not impossible.” Block chain results in a number of advantages in a technical field, making things easier, but it doesn’t mean companies get to stop working on putting their data in order.

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“Put simply, block chain is a database that digitally stores your data, a so-called digital ledger. Several concepts behind this database make it “much more exciting.” Transparency, for example, is an important concept behind block chain. “Block chain is a technology used because some parties in the sector are insisting on more and more transparency. That transparency could also be realised on an A4 sheet of paper, but a system like block chain speeds things up enormously. “Walmart and some major players in fresh produce showed that it takes 6 days, 18 hours and 26 minutes in case of a food safety issue in sliced mangoes to get all data complete from retail to grower. With the block chain application it took 2.2 seconds,”

Besides, block chain has unique characteristics making it unique. Block chain has, for instance, a strict registration (logging) of who changes what at which moment in the data. Additionally, it’s been created on the principle of consensus. Meaning: data can only be changed if both parties agree to it. If the buyer and the grower disagree about the quality of the product, they first have to reach an agreement before it can be changed. Thirdly, there’s the governance model, meaning anyone can see where the product came from, and which links form the product’s supply chain. “That’s the transparency.” And finally, it’s immutable, meaning no party can change the information. “The entire supply chain is actually digitised.”

Transparency is becoming more important as a result of various global incidents. The result is that more retailers want to use this technique to increase transparency. “Based on this technology, new tracking and tracing applications are developed.” Because of the problems with E.coli in Romaine lettuce in the US two years in a row, retailers Walmart and Sam’s Club have now compelled all growers of leafy vegetables to make all data of their crops available for the retailers using a block chain application before September 2019.

That this transparency can come back to you like a boomerang has been proven by Albert Heijn. Last year, this Dutch supermarket chain announced they would start using block chain to offer complete transparency in their supply chain. This was presented mid-September. One week later, Dutch newspaper Trouw published an article that the block chain’s information showed one orange grower in Brazil, who supplied the fruit to the supermarket, was convicted for abusing workers, among other things. According to the newspaper, the workers were forced to sleep in an old chicken coop and they were not fairly compensated. “That’s transparency!” Full article available here

Food safety2.8. Facts to Consider About the  "Dirty Dozen" ListLast week the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released their so-called “dirty dozen” list. Before covering or using this “list,” the Alliance for safe food and farming asked reporters, bloggers, nutrition communicators and consumers to consider these facts about the "dirty dozen" and produce safety:

Produce is the Only Food Group Health Experts Agree We Should Eat More of Every Day If just half of all Americans increased their consumption of a fruit or vegetable by a single

serving each day, 20,000 cancer cases could be prevented every year, according to peer reviewed research.  

Decades of nutritional studies confirm that increasing consumption of conventional and organic produce improves health and prevents diseases. One study showed people who ate seven or more servings of fruits and veggies per day reduced their risk of premature death by 42%, cancer by 25% and heart disease by 31%.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in 10 Americans eat enough fruits and veggies each day. Dietitians encourage consumers to eat whatever type of produce they prefer, is affordable and accessible.  Just eat more. 

The “Dirty Dozen” Recommendations Are Unsupportable/May Negatively Impact Consumers A peer reviewed study found that EWG’s suggested substitution of organic forms of

produce for conventional forms did not result in any decrease in risk because residues on conventional produce are so minute, if present at all.

A woman could eat 18,615 servings of kale in a day and a child could eat 7,746 in a day and still not have any health effects from residues, according to an analysis by toxicologists

EWG’s list may be negatively impacting produce consumption, according to peer reviewed studies.  Research found that EWG’s “dirty dozen” list messaging resulted in low income shoppers reporting that they would be less likely to purchase any fruits and vegetables – organic or conventional.  

United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Report says the exact opposite of EWG claims. The actual findings of USDA’s Pesticide Data Program report shows that 99% of residues found on fruits and vegetables, if present at all, are well below safety levels set by the Environmental Protection The FDA  sampling shows that 50%   of those foods had no detectable residues at all. 

USDA further states: “The PDP data demonstrate that overall pesticide residues found on foods tested are at levels below the tolerances established by EPA and pose no safety concern.  Based on the PDP data, consumers can feel confident about eating a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables."

 Final Facts to Consider:

According to the FDA, washing produce under running tap water can reduce and often eliminate pesticide residues, if they are present at all.

For more information visit www.safefruitsandveggies.com or our Facebook and Twitter pages. Read, learn, choose but eat more organic and conventional fruits and veggies every day for better health and a longer life.

2.9. EWG updates 'Dirty Dozen' listThe Environmental Working Group (EWG) last week (20 March) released the 2019 version of the 'Dirty Dozen' list, as part of its annual Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce report for the US market. The Shopper’s Guide ranks pesticide contamination on 47 popular fruits and vegetables based on an analysis of more than 40,900 samples taken by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the 2019 report, nearly 70 per cent of the produce sold in the country comes with pesticide residues, with strawberries gaining the unwanted number one spot as testing positive for a number of different pesticide residues and containing higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce.

"Overall, the USDA found 225 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products on popular fruits and vegetables Americans eat every day," EWG said. "Before testing, all produce was washed and peeled, just as people would prepare food for themselves, which shows that simple washing does not remove all pesticides."EWG's Dirty Dozen for 2019 is: Strawberries, Spinach, Kale, Nectarines, Apples, Grapes, Peaches, Cherries, Pears, Tomatoes, Celery, Potatoes

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EWG also analysed the USDA data to produce the Clean Fifteen, an alternative list of the fruits and vegetables that have few, if any, detected pesticide residues. Less than 1 per cent of samples showing any detectable pesticides, while more than 70 per cent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had no pesticide residues.EWG's Clean Fifteen is: Avocados, Sweetcorn, Pineapples, Frozen sweet peas, Onions, Papayas, Eggplants, Asparagus, Kiwis, Cabbages, Cauliflower, Cantaloupes, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Honeydew melonsFull article available here

Innovation2.10. Produce crops now set to benefit from heat treatment expansionA California-based company is continuing to expand its thermaculture heat treatment system into the fresh produce industry. Agrothermal Systems was founded in 2007 and for the past decade has been using heat treatment technology on wine grapes in order to significantly reduce the incidence of pests, diseases and rain damage. The company recently introduced a new machine capable of applying the heat treatment for row and vertical crops, thus allowing for a significantly larger range of produce to be treated.

"Thermaculture works by briefly raising the ambient air temperature at and surrounding the plant in a process we call Instantaneous Heat Shock,". "The results of IHS are numerous - by super heating the air around the plant we are able to disrupt insect and fungal development enough to kill spores and small pests. Heat delivered directly to the plant offers the ability to dry crops after rain events, preventing disease and fungal damage caused by moisture."

"Instantaneous Heat Shock activates the plant self-defense mechanism," she added. "This natural process increases the levels of phenol and antioxidants present in the plant. The effects of which offer improved flavor profiles, additional health benefits, better quality, higher yields, as well as extended shelf-life."Full article available here 2.11. Clēan Works announces new way to clean food products without using waterClēan Works in the USA has developed a new innovative technology that cleans food without using water. The revolutionary process represents a paradigm shift in the way food products are cleaned. While water alone is only around 50% effective, this process is up to 99.9% effective under the specific conditions.The method is organic and waterless, and can take less than 30 seconds. Using ultraviolet light and vaporized hydrogen peroxide to kill up to 99.9% of pathogens like Listeria, based on Clēan Works' controlled operating procedures, it also allows for compliance with regulations. It kills pathogens which create health risks. With the process, Moyers Apple Products has seen the shelf life of its products increase by up to 25%. Full article available here

2.12. Researchers of the WUR present methods for improving quality of fruit and vegetables

The shelf life of ready-to-eat avocados is significantly improved when it’s stored at eight degrees Celsius. Perhaps hoped for but now proven incorrect: the flavour of strawberries picked before they are ripe doesn’t improve during storage, in fact, it becomes worse. These are two remarkable results from the four-year project of GreenCHAINge Fruit & Vegetables, focused on encouraging the consumption of fruit and vegetables and making the supply chain more sustainable. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) recently announced part of the results.

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GreenCHAINge consisted of four years of research, and 29 partners participated in the project. The project consists of seven sub-projects (mango, beans and grapes; melon and papaya; soft fruit and strawberry; mushrooms; pear; stone fruit; automatic quality inspection). Research of 6,000 mangoes, 25,000 mushrooms, 1,200 melons, 54,000 strawberries, 10,000 pears and 3,000 avocados in 1,300 days of cold store and using 28 different measuring methods resulted in a wealth of information. As of this moment, 35 fact   sheets have been published on the research (link to Dutch website). Unfortunately in Dutch but they may be worth a look. Full article available here

2.13. Dry ice in containers results in better quality soft fruitTransport and quality is often a challenging combination.. Wageningen Food & Biobased Research recently added a new option: dry ice as a source of high CO2 levels in the transport and storage of soft fruit. A partner is now needed to market the product.

“We wanted to create a high CO2 in a transport container, reefer or lorry to protect the product in the container against decay We looked for an alternative to SO2, which is CO2. Besides, we also looked for a way to easily keep the CO2 at a high concentration. This became the use of dry ice. It’s mostly about protecting against moulds or other quality defects that can be prevented with a high CO2.”

But what is the advantage of dry ice compared to a CO2 cylinder? It can be placed in the container at the beginning of the supply chain, so you don’t have to wait until the container arrives at the place where the CO2 cylinder is. Because of that, the trajectory with a high CO2 is longer, Depending on the amount of dry ice placed in the container, the container could have high CO2 levels for two to three weeks. The project is in a stage of continued development, and we’re looking for market parties such as logistical service providers who want to work together to market the service. Full article available here

2.14. Researchers make plant disease breakthroughA global research team is claiming a major breakthrough in fighting plant disease with the discovery of immunity chromosomes.  The team identified for the first time the specific locations within a plant’s chromosomes that impart disease resistance to their offspring. Their findings reveal four DNA loci that control disease resistance against common plant pathogen downy mildew. Full article available here

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