Extensive laboratory testing of the source of a recent Jordanian dates shipment to Australia came back negative and provided no proof of pre-shipping contamination, Minister of Agriculture Khaled Huniefat said on Sunday.

The minister said that his ministry had been investigating the issue soon after reports came out alleging Jordanian dates supplied to the Australian market were contaminated.

He added in a statement that the ministry tracked the farms and marketing centers of 25 tons of dates supplied to the Australian market, taking extensive samples from these locations, and found no evidence of contamination.

Huniefat revealed that all dates exports from the Kingdom will be subject to strict antimicrobial surveillance to ensure that they are not contaminated after shipping as a result of wrong handling or unsafe packaging.

Extensive laboratory testing of the source of a recent Jordanian dates shipment to Australia came back negative and provided no proof of pre-shipping contamination, Minister of Agriculture Khaled Huniefat said on Sunday.

The minister said that his ministry had been investigating the issue soon after reports came out alleging Jordanian dates supplied to the Australian market were contaminated.

He added in a statement that the ministry tracked the farms and marketing centers of 25 tons of dates supplied to the Australian market, taking extensive samples from these locations, and found no evidence of contamination.

Huniefat revealed that all dates exports from the Kingdom will be subject to strict antimicrobial surveillance to ensure that they are not contaminated after shipping as a result of wrong handling or unsafe packaging.