Facebook has been going viral with the news that the majority of our frozen berries in Australia are contaminated with nasty chemicals that are banned in this country.
This has angered and outraged many of you. I am glad. It is not something we should put up with!
I wanted to blog about it, just to make sure all of you had seen the news and had some information about alternatives.
Please also be aware that you would also have to be wary of any products containing berries that are not organic or Australian. So, read your jam labels for example!
Okay, so this is where it all started. A report on Today Tonight investigated frozen berries found in the major supermarkets. Now, at this point we are relying on their information. While I am not a fan of these sort of TV shows, I am assuming this information is correct. I would love to know if anyone else has information to back this up.
You can watch the segment here:
Okay, so what do we do about it?
* Stop eating berries. I don’t really recommend this! Berries are a nutrition powerhouse. Filled with antioxidants, they are a cancer-fighting food. Read more here.
* Buy local berries. Look for berries grown and packed in Australia. We have stricter food laws than other countries like China and Chile. However, berries are one of the ‘dirty dozen‘ and are still heavily sprayed.
* Buy organic berries. This is my personal preference. Look for certified organic berries though as these farmers have to be accredited by an independent agency. Here are some of the brands I found.
These organic ones from Creative Gourmet are still from Chile, but they have an organic certification, so technically they should be totally chemical free. I have found them in the freezer section at Coles and Woolworths.
The oob brand can be found at Woolworths, in the freezer section. They are also certified organic and come from New Zealand and sometimes Chile.
These are fresh certified organic berries from New Zealand.
Obviously, try to source organic berries or berries from local farmers markets if you can, to decrease your carbon footprint.
Here are some organic Australian berry farmers that you may be able to source organic berries from.
Sunny Creek Organic Berry Farm, located in South Trafalgar, Victoria. You can go and pick your own or buy their jam online.
Elgin Organic. Frozen products available in Sydney.
Kate’s Organic Berries. Located in Swansea, Tasmania.
Berry Organic Farm. Located in Victoria, available in Melbourne at selected farmers markets.
Moondarra Blueberries. Located in East Gippsland, Victoria. Available in various farmers markets and retail outlets.
Still fuming? I am sending feedback to the offending companies, complaining about their product.
Here are the links if you want to do the same:
Woolworths contact form. Woolworths Select brand berries.
Coles contact form. Coles brand berries.
Creative Gourmet brand contact form.
So, I hope that this information has been somewhat helpful. As always, knowledge is our best defence. We cannot rely on our government to protect us. Do your own research and make your own decisions on what to feed your family.
Now, for something fun and positive – my best berry recipes! Enjoy!
Frozen blueberry and yoghurt drops.
You might also like to read : Is your dried fruit safe?
Superfoods for Kidz and Nutra Organics use only ORGANIC berries in their superfood powders.
Try the C-Berry Blast or Acai Berry Blend
(click here to buy from my NEW affiliate shop).