“As far as Fonterra is aware, the New Zealand government is working with Chinese authorities to determine the extent of the response and no formal notice has been received,” the statement said. China has begun tightening dairy import regulations to improve overall food security. In recent weeks, Beijing has introduced regulations restricting the operation of small brands of infant formula. WELLINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) – New Zealand`s Fonterra, the world`s largest milk exporter, said on Monday it had received no official notification from Chinese authorities of measures against dairy products that could be contaminated with bacteria that could cause botulism. China, which imports most of its milk powder from New Zealand, has asked domestic importers to recall all products that may have been contaminated with the bacteria and to take a closer look at New Zealand dairy products entering the country. Karicare is manufactured by Nutricia, which operates in New Zealand, and is supplied by Fonterra. The brand is popular in China. MPI said it had been informed by Nutricia that one batch was on a ship, another was stored in Australia, while the other three were in a warehouse in New Zealand. Fonterra reiterated in its NZX statement that there are no confirmed reports of illnesses related to the whey product in question.
The Ministry of Basic Industries said five batches of New Zealand-made Karicare formula for babies aged six months and older were made with the contaminated product. Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. In a statement to the New Zealand Stock Exchange, he said he had heard nothing about China`s official response to the food panic. The bacteria can cause botulism, a life-threatening disease that affects muscles and can cause breathing problems. Infant botulism can attack the intestinal system. Whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, fresh milk, yogurt, cheese, butter and other spreads, as well as UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk and milk powders sold on the GDT (GlobalDairyTrade) auction platform are not affected by the issue. Infant formula from foreign brands is a valuable product in China, where consumers are wary of domestic brands in the face of a series of food safety scandals. Popular foreign brands include Nestlé, Danone and Mead Johnson. All these products are retained by the market and the MPI advises against using them. China`s Product Safety Authority said it had called on New Zealand to take immediate action to “prevent the products in question from harming the health of Chinese consumers.” Chinese state radio said Fonterra had informed three Chinese companies affected by the contamination. Clostridium botulinum is commonly found in soil.
The Fonterra case was caused by an unsanitary pipe in a processing plant. Three food companies, two beverage companies and three feed manufacturers were affected. “Because the amounts needed to cause the disease are small, we are now focusing on determining whether a product available in the markets is affected,” an MPI spokesperson told Reuters. No cases of illness related to affected whey protein have been reported, and no cases of fresh milk, yogurt, cheese, spreads and UHT dairy products have been affected. Fonterra said Saturday it has sold New Zealand whey protein concentrate contaminated with Clostridium botulinum to eight customers, including food and beverage companies and pet food companies, for potential use in infant formula, bodybuilding powder and other products. None of the company`s branded products were affected, he said. The Department of Basic Industries said Fonterra had informed it that the products in question were exported to Australia, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The company said Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings would travel to China from Europe over the weekend to discuss the issue.
New Zealand authorities said they had removed some widely used infant formula from supermarket shelves. “No product recalls have been announced at this time,” Fonterra said in a statement. WELLINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) – New Zealand`s Fonterra, the world`s largest milk exporter, said on Saturday it had found bacteria that could cause botulism in some of its dairy products, prompting China to recall the affected products. The New Zealand dollar fell on Monday after the news, with dairy products being the country`s largest exporter, with an annual profit of about NZ$12 billion. Fonterra is a leading supplier of milk powder for Chinese dairy companies and also supplies multinational food and beverage companies. “The government also urged importers to immediately recall potentially contaminated products and called on all local quarantine and inspection agencies to further strengthen inspection and surveillance of New Zealand dairy products exported to China,” the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement. Russia has suspended the import and circulation of Fonterra products, Russia`s ITAR-TASS news agency reported Saturday, citing consumer protection dog Rospotrebnadzor.