Battle for milk
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not keen on giving any ground to its competitors in the country.
Fonterra says its subsidiary NZAgbiz has sold "a very small amount of calf milk replacer containing the affected whey protein concentrate (WPC80)".
The co-op also confirmed NZAgbiz as one of the eight customers, including infant formula manufacturers that had received affected WPC80. NZAgbiz has announced a product recall of a small amount of calf milk replacer sold in the North Island.
NZAgbiz general manager Justine Pearce says after a comprehensive inventory assessment it found that the majority of affected product still in stock. Only a small amount has been sold to customers in the North Island, she says.
"As a result we are acting immediately to recall this product. We have alerted the Ministry for Primary Industries and, where possible, are contacting customers directly.
"We have also sought and received expert advice which has confirmed that the risk to animal health from consuming the feed is low.
"We place absolute importance on the safety of our customers' animals and as such, we are recalling all affected product," Pearce says.
The products recalled are;
Ancalf calf milk replacer with batch numbers:
• JX24 X6494 to JX24 X6509
• JX26 X6542 to JX26 X6573
Brown Bag calf milk replacer with batch numbers:
• IX21-B0974
• IX21-B0975
• IX21-B0979
• IX21-B0983
NZAgbiz does not produce any products for human consumption.
Fonterra veterinarian, Lindsay Burton says although the health risk posed by the affected calf milk replacer is very small, NZAgbiz is right not to compromise on safety standards, and to advise customers who may have the affected product to return it to the place of purchase.
Fonterra is continuing to work with the eight customers who have the affected WPC80 to assist them in getting all relevant information into the public domain as quickly as possible.
Since Fonterra's announcement of potential quality issue on Saturday, some countries are reviewing their trade with New Zealand dairy companies.
Russia has announced a complete ban on all New Zealand dairy products. In New Zealand, Nutricia is recalling several batches of infant formula that could contain the affected WPC80. Chinese authorities are also asking consumers to refrain from buying NZ made infant formula.
Fonterra initially identified a potential quality issue in March this year, when a product tested positive for Clostridium. There are hundreds of different strains of Clostridium, the majority of which are harmless.
Product samples were put through intensive testing over the following months. On July 31, tests indicated the potential presence of a strain of Clostridium (clostridium botulinum) in a sample, which can cause botulism in humans.
