The arrival of irradiated mangoes into the New Zealand market has caused anger among environmental campaigners.

Green Party spokeswoman Sue Kedgley, said they feared the mangoes were “the thin end of the wedge” and more irradiated food would be brought into the country.

She said: “It is absurd the government is allowing irradiated mangoes into New Zealand when there are ample supplies of non-irradiated mangoes imported from other parts of the world.

“Furthermore, there are other successful heat treatments being used to sterilise mangoes that do not require irradiation.”

She said irradiation processes had failed in the past to stop fertile insects getting into the country: “Imagine the devastation if a non-sterilised fruit-fly, or any other pest associated with mangoes, slipped through as a result of a bad day at the food nuking plant.”

She called on consumers to oppose the importation of irradiated fruit.