October 8, 2014

Sale of Fonterra milk powder suspended in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's health ministry has suspended the sale of some Anchor milk powder amid concerns it has made children sick, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Dr.SanathMahawithanage, associate director for scientific and regulatory affairs of the

Fonterra Brands in Sri Lanka,confirmed the report, saying three batches of 400-gramme Anchor full cream milk powder have been held by the ministry following complaints from three customers.

The company said it was working with health officials for the lifting of the hold order and was doing additional testing on the three batches. It said its own testing had cleared the product.

According to Reuters, several children suffered food poisoning after consuming the product in the southern village of Girandurukotte, 224 km from the capital Colombo. The total quantity on hold was put at 76tonnes.

In August last year, Sri Lanka's National Health Services Union won a temporary injunction to stop the sale of Fonterra products amid ongoing concerns over the levels of nitrates found in the milk powder.

Fonterra subsequently suspended operations in the country after Sri Lanka's National Freedom Front, a hardline nationalist political party, protested against the dairy exporter on behalf of the local dairy producers.