September 11, 2013

Russia lifts ban on Fonterra's dairy products

New Zealand's dairy giant Fonterra received a report that Russia has removed its temporary ban on its dairy products.

The Ministry of Primary Industries in New Zealand said some of Fonterra's milk products were now allowed back to Russia, however there were some restrictions imposed on Fonterra to protect Russian consumers.

The first restriction set by Russia was the sale of Fonterra's product. This has been apparently removed since Fonterra was allowed to sell milk products again in the country. The second restriction involved imports of Fonterra's other products.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Primary Industries said the agency was still in discussion with authorities in Russia to resolve remaining issues that hinder trade. Along with China and Sri Lanka, Russia placed a ban following Fonterra's botulism scare in August.

Russia lifted the ban after analysing information provided by the Ministry of Primary Industries.

A follow-up test to ensure that the whey protein concentrate powder of Fonterra did not contain botulism-causing bacteria was also conducted by the ministry. Fonterra's botulism scare was found to be a false alarm since further testing revealed the alleged contaminated batch of whey protein concentrate contained clostridium. This type of bacteria did not cause botulism.

Nutricia was one of the companies affected by the fake botulism scare news of Fonterra. Despite the fact that their milk products were safe to consumers, Nutricia was forced to issue a product recall as an immediate safety precaution following Fonterra's news. The firm recalled around 67,000 cans of Karicare baby formula mostly in New Zealand.

When it found out that the botulism scare was a false alarm, Nutricia has apologised to parents for causing anxiety and stress. The company has assured customers its milk products are safe for their babies.

Nutricia ANZ General Manager Corine Tap was frustrated with the misinformation which has cost the rest of the dairy industry in New Zealand millions and tainted its 100% pure reputation.