Australian government officials say the detections of leaf matter and a single insect in a consignment of New Zealand apples shows the stringent import conditions laid down by Biosecurity Australia are being rigorously enforced.
The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service on Tuesday rejected the first consignment of apples from New Zealand.
The consignment came from a Hawke's Bay packhouse and was inspected before being airfreighted to Sydney.
The consignment was rejected due to the detection of a small piece of leaf trapped in the lid of a carton and one dead insect.
The inspection included cutting 15 apples in half to detect any sign of pest or disease.
Biosecurity Australia issued its final import risk analysis on the importation of apples from New Zealand a fortnight ago, saying it was satisfied any risks associated with introducing fire blight, European canker and apple leaf curling midge into Australia could be managed.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry says the detections show biosecurity officers have the skills to detect pests of potential concern even when present at very low levels.
It says import conditions for New Zealand apples, which include inspection, audit and verification, are protecting Australia from pests and diseases.
