Companies shouldn't poison customers: PM

Tony Abbott is cool on calls for stronger food labelling laws in the wake of the frozen berries scare, but says screening could be stepped up.

The government is considering toughening up import screening procedures following a food contamination scare, Prime Minister Tony Abbott says.

Companies also have to lift their game, Mr Abbott says, after numerous people who had eaten imported frozen berries tested positive to hepatitis A.

"The bottom line is that companies shouldn't be poisoning their customers," the prime minister told ABC radio on Wednesday.

"Businesses have an obligation to their customers."

However Mr Abbott was cool on calls for changes to labelling following the recall of the Chinese-grown berries.

More red-tape and regulation of the private sector could lead to soaring food costs, he said.

"We want safe products but we want safe products at a fair price. Some price is worth paying, but it's got to be a careful balancing act."

Mr Abbott said he had to respect consumers' "financial health as well as other aspects of their health".

Farmers have called for an overhaul of labelling to help people identify Australian grown and packaged food.

Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley said the food contamination scare was appalling and should not be tolerated.

"Where biosecurity, quarantine, import-export policy and everything surrounding those issues needs to be reviewed, it will be," she told reporters in Sydney.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world