The Food Safety Authority is digging into new ground, with an investigation into the use of water and natural fertilisers such as manure and compost in fruit and vegetable production.
The aim is to assess the risk of food-borne diseases getting into fresh produce from sources such as contaminated water and improperly treated manure.
The authority says that, while there have been many cases overseas of disease outbreaks linked to fresh fruit and vegetables, those sorts of incidents are rare in this country
And a specialist adviser, Marion Castle says the study will help growers here to keep it that way.
As part of the study, Ms Castle says, the authority will interview growers about current practices. Results are expected by the middle of next year.
