August 6, 2013

 

Fonterra's whey contamination scare triggers product recalls

 

 

Fonterra notified that contaminated whey protein concentrate had been sold to China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Saudi Arabia and used in products including infant milk powder and sports drinks.

 

Investigations found 38 tonnes of whey protein concentrate were contaminated, of which 18 tonnes were used in Fonterra factories in Australia and New Zealand to produce milk formula for two customers.

 

Dumex Baby Food Co Ltd, a subsidiary of France's Danone, said 12 batches could have been affected. Half had been recalled as a precaution and the rest was in factories. It was not clear which was the other affected company.

 

Danone Dumex has initiated a precautionary recall on one of its infant milk formulas sold in Singapore, including the 900 gram and 1.6-kilogramme packet sizes of its Mamil Gold PreciNutri Step 2 (after six months follow-up formula).

 

Nutricia Karicare has recalled two baby products, Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 and Karicare Gold+ Follow On Formula Stage 2, with advice parents should stop using both until further notice; while French-owned global dairy products manufacturer Danone has also issued a product recall.

 

Fonterra revealed that UHT, yoghurt and soft drinks produced by Wahaha, Coca-Cola and Vitaco are all safe, despite being made using the contaminated powder.

 

Small amounts of its NZAgbiz calf milk replacer, not made for human consumption, have also been recalled.

 

Vietnam has ordered an immediate recall and halt of circulation of a milk powder manufactured by Fonterra and Russia has stopped all imports of some New Zealand dairy products. Abbott Laboratories' office in Vietnam, the owner of the milk powder manufactured by Fonterra in New Zealand, will conduct the recall and report the result by August 9, the Health Ministry-run Vietnam Foodstuff Safety Department said in a statement on its website. Media reports said Thailand had also ordered a recall of Fonterra products imported since May.

 

In China, products from Coca-Cola Co and Chinese food firm Wahaha were safe as any bacteria would be killed during processing. Protein drinks made by Auckland-based Vitaco Health Group Ltd, another Fonterra customer, were also unaffected, while products sold to China under the Karicare brand by Nutricia, another Danone subsidiary, do not contain the contaminated whey protein concentrate, he added. "None of the products tested by Dumex in China have reported problems," Spierings said.

 

Nearly 90% of China's US$1.9 billion in milk powder imports last year originated in New Zealand, with the lion's share coming from Fonterra, which manufactures milk powder for other companies to sell in China. Fonterra was not facing a ban on its products in China, only restrictions on whey protein concentrate.

 

CEO Thierry Spierings said he expected the curbs would be lifted early this week, as soon as Fonterra provides Chinese regulators with a detailed explanation of what went wrong. The majority of the affected products have already been contained, he said, and the problem will be resolved within two days after all contaminated products have been recalled.