An exclusive and extensive investigation by SBS Radio has revealed banned imported foods are readily available in supermarkets in Australia and yet may be unfit for human consumption.
As part of this investigation, SBS commissioned independent lab testing of a number of imported Indian foods available in Australia.These are the findings.
SBS found that such lapses in standards may be the result of systemic failings in product regulation, including:
- Inadequate or misleading labelling of expiry dates leading to the sale of products well beyond recommended consumption periods.
- Products recalled overseas for safety reasons can easily remain on sale in Australia due to issues in regulating parallel imports.
- Only five per cent of packaged food imports to Australia are tested.
- Australia’s standards found to be lower than comparable markets – with the USA rejecting many food products that are deemed acceptable for Australian import.
- Local councils are responsible for enforcement of food safety regulations, and often only take action if a complaint is filed
