The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries has confirmed that kiwifruit grown in the country that may have been contaminated with the antibiotic streptomycin has been destroyed before it could hit the market, a report by Radio New Zealand has revealed.
The Ministry began an investigation into the potential misuse of streptomycin after it found that some growers had applied it illegally in a bid to counter the outbreak of the deadly Psa-V vine disease, which has taken a devastating toll on much of the industry.
Some growers were given permission to spray restricted amounts on their vines, but some were found to have sprayed outside the allocated timeframe or even illegally injected the antibiotic into the vines themselves.
Radio New Zealand revealed tests had demonstrated that no residues had been found outside the 62 declared growers who had misused streptomycin, with all of the affected fruit destroyed.
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