A new system of producing residue-free food has been hailed as successful by a representative body.
Pipfruit NZ, which represents New Zealand's pipfruit growing industry, claimed that its Apple Futures programme has produced "outstanding results" to date, 3 News reports.
Around 90 orchards were monitored during the first year of the project, which saw spray residue levels eradicated on half the fruit tested and reduced to the lowest limits of detection among the rest.
Environmental analysis of the orchards revealed Central Otago to be the most successful region, according to Peter Beaven, Pipfruit NZ chief executive.
"Of the 38 orchards in that district all but one are now registered for Apple Futures or have converted to organic production," he explained.
He added that New Zealand's apples are now "the safest on the planet".
Apple Futures is the latest development in the pipfruit industry in New Zealand, following the introduction of the Integrated Fruit Production Programme in the 1990s.
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