August 5, 2013

China, Russia suspend Fonterra milk products due to botulism scare

China and Russia have suspended milk products from New Zealand's Fonterra after the dairy giant reported that a concentrated whey product may contain Clostridium botulinum, a botulism-causing toxic bacteria.

Three batches of the affected WPC80 whey products were made into 900 tonnes of varied food products and sold to eight of Fonterra's customers in seven countries including Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam. Of these customers, three are companies that manufacture animal stock feed, while the rest are food and beverage companies.

The batches were produced in May 2012, although the contamination was only confirmed in tests last week. The contamination had been traced to a pipe at a manufacturing site in New Zealand. 

Fonterra's animal feed subsidiary, NZAgbiz, one of the eight customers that received affected whey protein concentrate (WPC80), announced an immediate product recall of a small amount of calf milk replacer sold in the North Island. The affected products are Ancalf calf milk replacer and Brown Bag calf milk replacer.

China has blocked all imports of milk powder from both New Zealand and Australia. China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said it had ordered importers to withdraw any contaminated products and called on quarantine officials to step up inspections of dairy products imported from New Zealand.

Russia was also recalling Fonterra's products, including infant formula, and has advised local consumers not to buy other products rom the company, despite not being one of the countries which imported the potentially contaminated product.