KEY POINTS:
Locally sold produce is extremely unlikely to harbour excess chemical or pesticide residue, says the Food Safety Authority.
It said extensive testing of local and overseas foods had found just one breach in imported food and a small number of breaches in a wide range of New Zealand-produced
foods.
"None of these represented any risks to health," said Glen Neal, the authority's assistant director (food standards).
"The results we found are similar to those other regulators around the world are finding, and show that the products being sold in New Zealand meet requirements and are safe to consume."
The authority sets maximum residue levels foods are permitted to contain, from a range of chemicals used by farmers and veterinarians.
The imported food which failed to meet local standards, mandarins from the United States, would have complied with US regulations.
Of seven local meat samples which showed excess residues, each had been caused by farmer error and the situation was being addressed.
Celery and spinach were the main culprits in tests of produce, with 16 and 13 breeches of maximum residue levels respectively.
"Because the season when celery and spinach were tested was unusually wet, there was a greater than normal need to prevent attack from fungus, and this is reflected in the relatively high number of residues of fungicides.
"The number and levels found is also consistent with the shape of these crops themselves, both presenting 'bowl' shapes with their leaf structures that will collect residues," Mr Neal said.
"There are no health concerns with the levels found in these residues. Our risk assessments show that even big eaters of celery and spinach can be assured of their safety."
Mr Neal said the authority would be working with farmers to reduce the amount of chemical residue on those crops.
Following food scares overseas, the authority also carried out special tests on imported Chinese products: vegetable proteins - which have been linked to the deaths of pets in the United States - and farmed fish.
Just 15 samples of vegetable proteins were tested, as very few are imported into New Zealand. None tested positive to chemicals linked with the deaths of animals.
Results from tests of 31 samples of tinned or frozen Chinese seafood matched what Australian and American scientists had found, Mr Neal said. Despite some samples testing positive for low levels of chemicals, they were safe to eat, he said.
"All of these results, even the highest at 0.058mg/kg, were well below any level that would pose a health risk.
But Green MP Sue Kedgley was not convinced Chinese seafood was safe.
"The NZFSA has assured us that only low levels of drug residues were found. However one of these antibiotics, nitrofuran, is banned from use in food-producing animals in the European Union and in the United States because it is considered to be a carcinogen."
By the numbers
* 4462 tests of meat and animal products. Seven samples exceeded maximum residue levels. None a health hazard.
* 418 milk samples subjected to more than 100,000 tests. None exceeded maximum residue levels.
* 734 samples of New Zealand fruit and vegetables tested for more than 200 compounds. 34 imported crops also tested. Overall, 40 samples exceeded maximum residue levels. None a health hazard.
Imported foods
* Vegetable proteins. 15 samples assessed, two specific chemicals tested for not detected.
* Chinese farmed fish. 31 samples assessed, including anchovy, fishballs, prawns and shrimps. 9 tested positive for nitrofurans (an antibiotic) and 6 for chemical dyes, but not at levels considered a health hazard.
Are you at risk?
The Food Safety Authority says the use of chemicals in food production is tightly controlled, and safety margins are built into maximum levels of residue allowed in food.