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A warning on spinach products

Consumers are being urged to seek caution as a number of spinach products are being recalled.

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IN light of recent food recalls from Food Standards Australia New Zealand relating to a small selection of spinach products, vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG is calling on consumers to follow the recall directions and dispose the recalled products, and for those with concerns for their health to follow the advice of health departments and seek medical attention. “The health and safety of our consumers is the top priority for our industry, so we urge consumers to follow the advice of the recall notices and to seek medical attention if you have concerns for your health,” AUSVEG chief executive Michael Coote said. “However, it is important to remember that there are only a small number of products with recall notices, and our food safety and retail sector is removing affected products as soon as there is a concern for people’s health. “This means that Australian consumers can have confidence in all other spinach and leafy salad products that are currently available for sale on retail shelves, which are unaffected by the recall. “AUSVEG has had reports of growers who are not included in the recall, but have experienced reduced orders and drops in sales, adding to the pressures that they face during this time of year. “Given the proximity to Christmas and the festive season - our industry’s busiest time of the year - this is both worrying and avoidable. “The past 12-months have been the most difficult in recent times for our industry. While all growers have faced significant increases to costs of production, floods and consistent rain and critical labour shortages this year, leafy salad and spinach growers have had it particularly tough during this period. “We call on all Aussie consumers to continue to buy plenty of fresh vegetables and leafy salads to support their hard-working, dedicated growers who are working day and night to ensure families have fresh produce for Christmas and the festive season.” Currently, the recalled products are:  Rivera Farms baby spinach at Costco Wholesale in VIC, NSW, ACT with use by dates from December 16 2022 up to December 28 2022;  Fresh Salad Co Fresh and Fast Stir Fry, at ALDI stores in VIC with use by date of December 24 2022;  Woolworths Chicken Cobb Salad and Woolworths Chickpea Falafel Salad, at Woolworths stores in VIC, NSW, QLD, ACT;  Woolworths Chicken Cobb salad 270g with use by date December 20;  Woolworths Chickpea Falafel Salad 290g use by date December 20 and December 22, and;  Eleven Coles Own Brand products containing spinach solid in Coles Supermarkets, Coles Local, Coles Express and through Coles Online in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, NT, ACT with use by dates between December 17 2022 and December 23 2022. AUSVEG continues to liaise with all relevant authorities and key stakeholders as the issues unfold.

Buy-a-bale fund relaunched

AUSTRALIANS have been urged not to forget the families impacted by the most expensive flood in the nation’s history in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Trusted charity, Rural Aid, prepares to deploy assistance to the communities hardest hit by this catastrophe. Much of NSW, VIC and SA was subject to record rainfall between September and November, over 130 local government areas declared disaster zones. More than $5.5 billion in damages have been recorded so far - more than any other flood in Australia’s history - as the dire consequences for regional communities become a harsh reality. The true cost is estimated to be much higher, given farmers may not have been insured for many of the losses and there is limited information on the ongoing loss of income. Rural Aid has relaunched its Buy-a-Bale fundraiser in response to the disaster, and will team up with the Rapid Relief Team to support a Farmer’s Community Connect event in Rochester. Rural Aid chief executive John Walters said the event is a chance for farmers to come together for support. “These floods have had unprecedented impact on rural Australians - families are losing their homes and livelihoods and entire towns are being wiped out,” Mr Walters said. “It is difficult to measure the true toll the floods are taking, and will continue to take, on impacted farmers and communities. “Our immediate concern is the mental health and wellbeing of families... communities face a long and challenging road to recovery.” Rural Aid’s registered mental health counsellors will be at the event, where farmers can register for free A-grade, feed-tested hay, with a free barbecue lunch and connect with local service providers. Almost 500,000 hectares of farmland have been flooded - more than half the size of Melbourne, wiping millions of dollars from farm incomes and causing stress on rural families. There is a possibility the flood event will be protracted and episodic, as the Bureau of Meteorology predicts above average rainfall from December to January in many of the impacted areas. “This particular event poses a unique challenge in that unlike the drought, where some farmers were better prepared or could take steps to manage the impact, this has been sudden and widespread,” Mr Walters said.