Sludge Watch ==> Australia - olive oil from olives grown in sludge pit

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Story: Olive oil from trees grown on contaminated soils in a sludge pit.

Why is it that the waste industry seems to insist that we eat from poisoned 
fields?
While the organic industry tries to protect soil from industrial wastes, 
other branches of
agriculture are boasting of foods linked to contamination.

Labelling is the answer.  Insist that they  put the sludge boast on the 
label and let the consumer choose.

........................................................................................................

Producers confident of developing olive oil from sludge pit

Tuesday, 17/04/2007

Olive trees are being used to clean-up former mining land contaminated with 
heavy metals at Broken Hill, in far western New South Wales.

The trees are about to produce their first vintage of olive oil and those 
involved in the project are confident the oil will be free of contaminants.

Doctor Steve Flecknoe-Brown from the Broken Hill Gourmet Foods Cooperative, 
says the oil, from trees planted in a former sludge pit, will be 
independently tested.

"We're going to get the NSW Department of Agriculture to assess not only the 
quality of the oil as it compares to other olive oils, but they will also 
independently, in a completely bullet proof fashion test it for heavy 
metals, so that we can prove our principle that this is a good way to 
rehabilitate heavy metal contaminated soils, not just here in Broken Hill, 
anywhere in the world," he said.