Australian Authorities Assess Claims of Illegal Raw Peanut Imports

Australian biosecurity authorities are investigating claims that imported raw peanuts are bypassing quarantine rules and reaching consumers directly, Abc reported. Under Australian law the nuts must carry a phytosanitary certificate or undergo processing at an approved facility. Bypassing those steps is illegal.

Sonie Crumpton, general manager of Crumpton Interstate, Australia's largest peanut processor and a major grower based in Kingaroy, said customers in Sydney and Melbourne first alerted staff in April to suspect packets on store shelves. Testing later showed the peanuts were capable of germinating, indicating they had not been processed. "We've been in it for four and five generations now and ...

I've never seen this before," Crumpton said. " Crumpton believes the nuts are arriving by the container load from China and Brazil, mainly through Melbourne, and are being distributed nationally, including through online marketplaces. Graeme Wright, a Kingaroy crop consultant and former peanut breeder, said the main concern is the possible introduction of peanut smut, a soil-borne disease that has damaged commercial production in South America.

"If we ever got that disease here, it would be the end of the industry," Wright said. He purchased a bag of Chinese raw peanuts from an Australian online marketplace that he described as looking suspect. Federal member for Maranoa David Littleproud said he raised the issue with Agriculture Minister Julie Collins more than a month ago and received little response.

He is urging the minister to quarantine suspect stock and require importers to recall affected products. A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson confirmed the matter is under assessment. "We are taking this report seriously and will take strong enforcement action where non-compliance is identified," the spokesperson said.