Waimairi moves on food

Press, 6 March 1989, Page 4

Waimairi moves on food

SUZANNE KEEN

By

The Waimairi Disrict Council will attempt to gain support from other South Island local bodies for stricter controls on imported food. The Medical Officer of Health for Christchurch, Dr Mel Brieseman, told councillors that there was a risk of food with both bacterial and chemical infestations entering New Zealand after the recent freeing of importation regulations.

Almost no imported food was being tested in Auckland, he said. situation was not as bad in* Christchurch, although there had ben a reduction in testing. “I guess it is a political issue which you as local body politicians can raise

a voice on,” Dr Brieseman said. He was invited to address the community affairs committee after the council’s chief environmental health officer, Mr Tony Murray, had reported on the problems of imported food testing programmes not receiving full supervision from the Health Department. Mr Murray said that the standard of hygiene in many exporting countries was suspect.

It was agreed that the council present a paper on the issue to a meeting of all South Island local authorities. It will also write to the Minister of Health, Mr Caygill, expressing its concern.

Dog control

Waimairi dogs are unlikely to be banned from reserves for their unhealthy habit of fouling in inappropriate places.

Concern about the spread of disease caused by dog droppings in public places prompted a discussion among councillors about possible action. Dr Brieseman said that only a small percentage of dogs carried diseases such as toxocariasis (roundworm infection) and humans were most commonly infected in the home.

However, dog droppings could be a hazard on sports fields or playgrounds. The disease could be passed on if people accidently touched

the droppings on the ground and later put their hands to their mouths.

Cr Des King said the matter had originally been raised after council staff showed him an article in a British magazine where a local authority had been fined £5OOO after a child caught a disease in a park and went blind.

In spite of concern, councillors did not follow up a suggestion that it could pass a by-law prohibiting dogs from reserves or forcing owners to pick up dog droppings from all public places. However, a motion was passed that educational material on the problem of dog disease and personal hygiene be sent to all ratepayers.