The Ministry for Primary Industries is assuring New Zealanders that no contaminated rockmelons have been imported from Australia. "None of the affected products were imported to NZ," a ministry spokeswoman confirmed on Monday morning. Australian rockmelons are exported to New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Brunei and have an export value of about $20 million per year. The New South Wales Food Authority began investigating the listeria outbreak on February 19. Listeriosis can result in serious sickness or even death in those people with a weakened immune system.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 04, 2018 19:41 UTC