BBC News, 3
August 2013
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Fonterra is one of the world's leading
diary exporters
|
It has led
to a global recall of up to 1,000 tons of dairy products across seven
countries, including China.
Fonterra
has not named the eight companies affected.
Botulism is
one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning, often leading to paralysis.
New
Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries confirmed on Saturday that the tainted
products included infant formula, sports drinks, protein drinks and other
beverages.
The
bacteria was found in three batches of Fonterra's whey protein used in infants'
Nutricia Karicare follow-on formula, Fonterra said.
Product
lock down
The whey
product was produced in May 2012, with a dirty pipe at one of its processing
plants in Waikato responsible for the contamination, the company said.
Nutricia
has locked down all five batches of formula believed to contain the tainted
product and says none of its product was actually sold.
Fonterra -
the fourth largest diary company in the world - says it has urged its customers
to urgently check their supply chains.
"We
are acting quickly," Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings said.
"Our
focus is to get information out about potentially affected product as fast as
possible so that it can be taken off supermarket shelves and, where it has
already been purchased, can be returned."
The
countries affected beside New Zealand include China, Australia, Thailand,
Malaysia, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.
Fonterra
said there had been no reports of any illness linked to the affected whey
product.
The dairy
industry powers New Zealand's economy, with the country exporting up to 95% of
its milk.
Fonterra is
a major supplier of bulk milk powder products used in milk formula in China.
Chinese
consumers have a special interest after a tainted milk formula scandal in 2008
killed six babies and made some 300,000 infants sick.
The Chinese
authorities have already ordered domestic importers to recall all milk products
that could be affected.
Fonterra's
chief executive, Theo Spierings, plans to fly to China on Saturday to deal with
the fall-out.
Botulism is
a rare paralytic illness caused by a toxin which is very poisonous to humans.
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