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August 2007 |
 Fertiliser supplier Protea Chemicals, a subsidiary of Omnia Holdings, is facing more legal action from SA's food industry following the detection of elevated levels of cadmium in Eastern Cape canned pineapples.
/~Some farmers there used Protea Chemicals fertilizer with ingredients imported from China which was contaminated with high levels of this trace element.
Following the rejection of a shipment of canned pineapples by Switzerland, the Eastern Cape pineapple industry (not the industry in KwaZulu-Natal) is suffering both direct financial losses and image damage and is instituting legal action against Omnia and possibly the SA Department of Agriculture.
Omnia was sued in 2005 by Rainbow Chicken for supplying contaminated chicken feed. The feed contained of the same product as the fertilizer. Rainbow claimed R120m in damages; that case is still in process before the Durban High Court.
Allen Duncan, chairman of the Eastern Cape Pineapple Assoc, says damages are still being quantified; he did not want to comment on early estimates of R70m to R100m. He would only say the debacle will have "a major impact on an industry already under stress from low export income".
Switzerland rejected SA canned pineapples after it was detected that the cadmium levels in the fruit exceeded the EU (and SA) permissible maximum of 0.05ppm (parts per million).
Cadmium is not dangerous in small quantities and the permissible levels in Australia, the US, Canada and Japan are much higher - up to 0.1ppm. SA's Department of Health has advised that levels of up to 0.25ppm are not a health hazard.
The rejected canned pineapples were brought back to SA and, where possible, re-labelled and re-routed to markets with higher permissible levels.
Fruit with too-high levels will also be used in juicing, where it is diluted with juice from uncontaminated fruit.
No product had to be removed from local retailer shelves, but the cut in total tonnages sold was severe, says Duncan.
The fruit in question stemmed from two canning factories in the Eastern Cape. The use of the fertilizer was stopped in November last year, so next year's crop will be unaffected, says Duncan.
He says both Omnia and SA's Department of Agriculture were aware of the elevated levels of cadmium in the fertilizer following the legal action of Rainbow and should have taken action then, to avoid further damage. - Iris van Breda
- The debacle comes at a time when the SA pineapple industry is being noted for some considerable innovations, particularly in the use of biogas converters to handle factory waste and generate energy, and also in the development of technology to make textiles from the long fibres of the pineapple plant leaves. F&B Reporter will be detailing these innovations in future editions.
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