New Zealand growers are hitting back at claims by an Australian trade body that its trans-Tasman neighbour is sending sub-standard frozen vegetables to its shores.

Horticulture New Zealand believes the comments made by AusVeg that its food manufacturers were bombarding the country with sub-standard products were designed to scare Australian customers into buying locally grown produce.

'This is blatant protectionist scaremongering. It is just another example of Australian sour grapes,” said HortNZ chief executive Peter Silcock.

“Last week it was beetroot, this week it is frozen vegetables. Australian growers need to stop complaining about competition and start getting better at what they do.”

The vast bulk of frozen vegetables that go from New Zealand to Australia is grown in New Zealand.

Silcock added: “It is also entirely legal for frozen products from China, or any other country, to be imported into New Zealand or Australia, processed and then exported elsewhere.

“There is no difference at all between manufactured food products with 'Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients” on the label or “Made in New Zealand from local and imported ingredients”. The origin of either could be anywhere.

“We could walk through the aisles of any Australian supermarket and find dozens of examples of products which have this labelling, which tells you nothing about the origin of the product.”

Silcock explained that HortNZ believes consumers need to be educated as to the difference between 'Made in' and 'Product of'.

“That’s the way the law is,' he said. 'If consumers don’t like it, they need to get their governments to change it. HortNZ has advocated tougher country of origin labelling laws for a long time.'

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