Store-bought potatoes among new mop-top detections

A pair of potatoes bought as fresh produce from retail stores, along with a spud from a processing facility in the north of the state, are the latest to have been found to have mop-top virus.

A Biosecurity Tasmania spokesperson said all three new spud disease detections were from samples of single potatoes.

“Links to any known infected sites have not yet been confirmed,” the spokesperson said.

“The Incident Management Team is tracing these samples to find their source.

“However, this process is complex because of where and how they were found.”

Mop-top virus does not pose any food safety or human health risks and all Tasmanian potatoes are still safe to consume.

“Biosecurity Tasmania has been undertaking tracing activities in collaboration with the potato industry,” the spokesperson said.

“Early surveillance efforts have focused on sampling and testing seed potatoes currently in storage.”

There are six grower sites where harvested potatoes in storage have been found with mop-top.

Another two locations, a small research site in the south and a storage site in the north, also had infected potatoes.

New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have banned Tasmanian seed potatoes, while spuds intended for processing and fresh market have to adhere to strict protocols – including being free of any soil and not coming from properties with potential links to infected sites.

Anyone who sees potential signs of mop-top in potatoes or spud plants has been urged to contact Biosecurity.Tasmania@nre.tas.gov.au or to call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.