Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

The legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe, Auckland will remain in place for the next few weeks as part of the response to the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly earlier this month. This is so we can be confident that we are not dealing with a breeding population. This time frame is based on the lifecycle of the Oriental fruit fly. There is no change to the current movement rules and zones that are in place. The instructions on the disposal of produce waste remain unchanged. More detail on these zones is on our website, here: https://bit.ly/4a4GU4s To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found in surveillance traps. Our Biosecurity officers will continue to regularly check fruit fly traps, and specialist staff in our mobile field laboratory will cut up and inspect fruit and vegetables collected in the area for any signs of larvae. So far more than 200kg of produce has been examined.

Following the discovery of an Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe, Biosecurity New Zealand officers have been out and about at night and weekend markets to talk to the community about our response, and to thank them for their cooperation and support. Our officers chatted to visitors and handed out useful information at the markets in Papatoetoe, Otara, Māngere, Manurewa and Māngere Bridge. This included details on the legal restrictions in place on moving fruit and vegetables out of the two zones, special disposal bins, and what to do should anyone suspect seeing a fruit fly. For more details on our response, visit https://lnkd.in/gXFK29jr

Looking for information on the Oriental fruit fly detection in Auckland? Check out the link below for fact sheets, what to look out for, situation updates, maps of the controlled area and zones, and what you can do to help the response. Our Oriental fruit fly ‘What you need to know’ factsheet is also available in 10 languages. For full information, www.mpi.govt.nz/fruitfly

A mobile laboratory has been set up at the Biosecurity New Zealand response centre in Auckland following the detection of an Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe last week. Scientists are closely examining fruit and vegetable samples and waste to look for any signs of fruit fly larvae. Legal controls are in place across two zones in Papatoetoe/Mangere to restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the areas, and special disposal bins are available for waste. See here for full information: www.mpi.govt.nz/fruitfly

Biosecurity New Zealand officers have today been setting up signage, extra traps and delivering special bins for fruit and vegetable waste disposal in Papatoetoe, Auckland, following the discovery of an Oriental fruit fly. Legal controls are in place to restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables in the area. Every household in Zone A will have a fruit and vegetable disposal bin, and in Zone B there will be about 34 bins placed around the edge of the zone, primarily on major transport routes and a further 75 placed within the Zone. See here for full information: https://bit.ly/4gDkAS7 Read here of today’s response work in Papatoetoe: https://bit.ly/422vdcK

Ho! Ho! Uh-oh! New Zealand Food Safety busts 12 food safety myths to help you avoid giving your whānau and friends food poisoning. Myth #12: Mouldy food is okay to eat, as long as I cut off the mouldy bit. That spot of mould you scrape off your bread, or the one you cut off your cheese, is the tip of the iceberg. Mould has spores and roots going into the food, which you often can’t see. 🧀 🍞 They can also produce toxic chemicals called mycotoxins that can make you really ill. Of course, not all moulds are bad. Some make life-saving medicine (penicillin) and delicious cheeses, but they are carefully selected by the manufacturers because they are safe. Fun fact: The mould used in the production of camembert and brie is named Penicillium camemberti, after the cheese first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, France. Read more about food poisoning here: https://bit.ly/3P9tyKw

Biosecurity New Zealand officers have been going home-to-home in Papatoetoe, Auckland today to drop off helpful information after the detection of an Oriental fruit fly in the area. The fact sheet explains the restrictions on moving certain fruits and vegetables out of the area, and what to do if you think you have found a fruit fly. Officers have also been checking fruit fly traps. Further information can be found here: https://bit.ly/4a4GU4s

An area of Papatoetoe, Auckland is now under a Controlled Area Notice, after the discovery of an Oriental fruit fly. This restricts the movement of certain fruits and vegetables out of the area to help prevent the spread of any fruit flies should there be more out there. Full details, maps and what to do, can be found here: https://bit.ly/4a4GU4s

Ho! Ho! Uh-oh! New Zealand Food Safety busts 12 food safety myths to help you avoid giving your whānau and friends food poisoning. Myth #11: If you drop food on the floor and pick it up within 5 seconds, it's safe to eat Sorry, the '5-second rule' is a myth. Whether it’s 1 second or 10, all that bacteria and viruses need to get on to your food – and into your gut – is any contact at all. The moisture and stickiness of the food will affect the number of germs that will attach to the food but, to be safe, if you’ve dropped it on the way to your mouth, best to bin it, and wash your hands. If you’ve dropped it during food preparation - and it can be salvaged (we’re not talking spilt milk and broken eggs) – rinse it and make sure it’s cooked thoroughly to kill unwanted nasties. Read more about safely preparing food at home: https://bit.ly/3Megi6K

A single male Oriental fruit fly has been found in a surveillance trap in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe. Read full details here, including how to identify them and what to do should you think you’ve seen one: https://bit.ly/49YHOj3