Infested palm kernel arrives in New Zealand

Palm oil definitely hasn’t been the flavour of the month recently. Chocolate lovers didn’t like it and the dairy industry came in for flak for importing so much of it. But one aspect barely touched on is the possible biosecurity risk to New Zealand.

Many farmers and grain importers say that palm kernel extract, or PKE – a feed for cows -has the capability to cripple New Zealand’s export industries.

They say the large number of shipments of PKE into New Zealand and  the suspect species that may have stowed away on board pose a huge risk.

Figures leaked to Te Waha Nui show that from February 2008 to February 2009, 47 shipments of PKE had to be fumigated on arrival in New Zealand.

Last year alone, five out of nine shipments into Southland had to be fumigated.

Tauranga farmer Bill Webb says: “The risk to biosecurity is huge. It will be the end of our export industries.

“This PKE comes from countries where foot-and-mouth is endemic. Malaysia and Indonesia are infiltrated with it. If we are able to get shipments of PKE with insects, who’s to say foot and mouth won’t be next?”

And Federated Farmers agree. Upper North Island grain representative Colin McKinnon says this could signal the “end of our dairy sector”.

“No one would ever buy our stuff again, and it’s not just us. MAF need to get that they can’t just look at the outside of the shipping containers and assume it’s okay. It’s clearly not being put through the heat treatment it’s supposed to. ”

PKE is a form of palm kernel which is ground down and fed to cows. It is mainly used as a feed supplement, with statistics showing that cattle on it can gain up to 700 grams of  weight a day.

MAF regulations state that importation requirements demand all PKE is heated to a core temperature of 85 ْdegrees for five minutes before shipping.

However, a biosecurity spokesperson says MAF consider the biosecurity risks with PKE as no greater than any other animal feed that comes from a plant, and that sampling and identification of the product show there is no need for concern.

She says the Southland statistics were high because new suppliers were brought into the market last year to meet demand.

“There are no records of any undesirable fungi, bacteria or insects being detected on PKE after biosecurity clearance has been given. It means we are detecting any insects or other contaminants if they are present on PKE and giving an effective treatment.”

But McKinnon says while it’s good that no insects are being brought in, it still shows that there should be tighter regulations to ensure that imports don’t need to be fumigated.

He says the fumigation at the port also poses a huge risk to other industries.

“It’s not just the end of our industry. If one of these fruit flies gets into Tauranga, there goes our kiwifruit industry, if it gets into the Hawkes Bay, there goes our apple industry, and wham our dairy industry would be gone, we may as well say good bye to the entire economy.”

While there are a variety of bugs getting across the border, MAF only consider a few to be “suspect species.” This means the other insects are already in New Zealand, and therefore of no concern to our industries. But the two that have been most commonly identified as a serious danger are the long headed flour beetle and white moths.

Federated Farmers president Don Nicholson says there are questions around just how rigorous MAF biosecurity procedures are.

“It appears to show some failings. But we don’t have the exact evidence to prove it. There’s substantial proof it’s happening, but the problem is that farmers are not calling in to MAF with the problems. We are calling on people to say, ‘hey, here’s some evidence of how bad these procedures are’.”

Te Waha Nui spoke to most of New Zealand’s grain importers but few were willing to comment, citing commercial sensitivity.

Fonterra subsidiary RD1’s marketing manager Shannon Galloway says: “It’s a contentious issue throughout the country. But we are confident with biosecurity measures and how they’re checking it at the port.”

One major grain importer, who wants to remain anonymous, says on various occasions they’ve had PKE delivered wet, which provides a breeding ground for insects.

He says this shows the PKE wasn’t imported using the correct guidelines and must then be destroyed as no one will buy it.

While he wouldn’t comment on whether he had found insects on his PKE, he had been informed that some stock had to be fumigated because of insects being found at the border.

He says one of his concerns is the stock being imported with other contaminants, which sometimes make him question whether guidelines overseas are being followed.

“We’ve had all sorts of stuff arrive in the shipments. We’ve had rubbish, paper, cigarette packets, cardboard, steel . . . all sorts really. I guess it’s a bit worrying that it can get it, but we aren’t too concerned.”

However, McKinnon says this adds extra fuel to the fire as he thinks it proves that the PKE isn’t being treated before it comes into New Zealand.

“If steel is in it, it’s obviously not going through the heating process, or through machines, because it’d break the machines.

“It just shows that this isn’t being made in the pristine buildings we’re meant to believe in. It’s probably just stored outside uncovered, which is why all the bugs are coming in, and why the workers are just putting all their rubbish in.

“It means other stuff could well be in there too. Imagine if wood got in there; imagine what that would do to our forestry industry. [MAF] obviously just choose to believe it’s coming from this clean sustainable company that they want to believe in, but quite clearly it’s not.”

MAF says it believes guidelines are followed and that material found in shipments is of no concern as it poses little risk to New Zealand.

“These inorganic items are not a biosecurity concern.  MAF has no justification to take action on the find of such items unless they pose a biosecurity risk to New Zealand. However, we encourage all imports to be free of contaminants.”

But the issue is heating up, with the Green’s Russel Norman weighing in on the debate in Parliament questioning the biosecurity measures

“New Zealand’s palm kernel addiction is already costing our economy, and farmers, due to lost sales of our own grain and maize feeds. . . it is leading to the demise of the domestic grain industry.”

Despite MAF’s reassuring words, PKE has been considered a risk for some time now.

In 2006 AgResearch published a confidential report, which has also been leaked to Te Waha Nui. It warned that the possible biosecurity risk of PKE and possible threat to the dairy industry was of concern.

The report found that fungal contamination of PKE often led to the production of mycotoxins, which can be passed on to humans and animals.

According to AgResearch, mycotoxins are unlikely to be destroyed by pasteurisation and cannot be destroyed through the heat treatment which MAF says the PKE goes through before arriving in New Zealand.

AgResearch has also warned that the mycotoxins can be passed on into the milk produced using PKE, which could have implications for both calves, and humans drinking it.

Futher, the report claimed there was “a possibility of contaminants being transferred into other milk products such as cheese and butter, in which they claim could potentially damage our dairy industry overseas”.

But MAF says that since the report was released they have reviewed the findings and consider it no risk to humans, or animals.

“The average New Zealander should not be concerned.  MAF reviewed the conclusions of the AgResearch report in 2006. Based on risk analyses completed and technical advice given, MAF considers that there is little risk from fungal mycotoxins or diseases for processed feeds, such as oil seed meals, provided the product can be kept free of contaminants.

“There have never been cases of aflatoxin M1 being found in dairy products in New Zealand linked to a palm kernel source, and MAF is not aware of any animals having ever suffered poisoning from fungal toxins as a result of eating PKE.”

McKinnon says the proof is in the pudding, and there are obvious problems with the PKE being imported. He says MAF needs to either overhaul their PKE bio security requirements, or ban it completely.

And Webb agrees.

“For the saving of a bit of cheap PKE, the current checks are just a short term fix. It’s just a band-aid. It’ll still come in, insects have been found. If they can prove its safe, then it’s all good but it’s not, which means it shouldn’t be here.”

In the meantime, MAF says it will continue to review its biosecurity procedures for PKE imports, but says there are no immediate plans to change anything.

“MAF is monitoring the results of consignment inspections and considering actions to improve  audit offshore procedures.MAF conducts ongoing reviews of pathways, interceptions, treatments and measures for providing quality assurance of products in the source countries.”