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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-23 Daily Xml
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SEAFOOD, PREPACKED

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Consumer Affairs a question about recent testing on prepacked frozen seafood by trade measurement inspectors.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: The Office of Consumer and Business Affairs regularly tests packaged foods for correct weight but has not previously tested prepacked frozen food. Will the minister advise the council about the results of recent testing of frozen seafoods' weight by trade measurement inspectors from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:12): I admire the honourable member's ongoing interest in important policy areas around seafood and prawns, and so on. South Australia has an envied reputation as a supplier of quality seafood and, equally, a well deserved reputation as a great consumer of seafood.

I am disappointed, however, to inform the council that recent testing of prepacked frozen seafood by trade measurement inspectors from the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs found that almost half the products tested weighed less than that advertised. Some 102 prepacked products from a variety of metropolitan supermarkets, stores and fishmongers were tested and—Mr President, I know that you would be personally disappointed if it was your packet of prawns—46 were underweight. The frozen packs tested included popular products such as prawns, squid, fish cakes, fish fingers and frozen fish fillets.

This is the first time that frozen seafood has been tested by trade measurement inspectors in South Australia. New uniform testing procedures, which allow the actual seafood content to be measured rather than the surface ice content, were followed. This is a means of ensuring consistency of measurement throughout Australia.

The test results are clearly not good enough, and every seafood lover has a right to be disappointed—and no doubt they are. While the average underweight pack was less than 2 per cent underweight, nevertheless the greatest shortcoming was in a one kilo packet of frozen prawns, which was 100 grams underweight; so that is a couple of prawns that did not make it to the barbie.

As Christmas approaches, seafood sales are likely to increase—everyone loves seafood at Christmas time—so it is important that we address these issues now, before the lead-up to the Christmas festive season.

Retailers have stopped selling those underweight packs, and OCBA is working with its interstate counterparts in relation to the seafood wholesalers. Those involved with these particular underweight products are wholesalers who were found interstate, so they will be followed up through our interstate counterparts.

We will also be randomly following up each of the retailers that were caught selling underweight here in South Australia. We will randomly follow up and visit those outlets. They were given a warning to start with. However, if they are found to be repeat offenders, we will look at prosecuting them, and prosecution attracts a maximum penalty of up to $20,000.

As this is the first time that frozen seafood has been tested, we are very keen to use this round as a means of informing and educating outlets here. We are reminding retailers that they need to lift their game—to lift their weight, so to speak. I urge all retailers and wholesalers of seafood to make sure that their products are not sold underweight. I once again remind the council that this is a government that is committed to a fair marketplace, where consumers can be confident they will get what they pay for.

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