Fonterra CEO apologises for milk scare, denies cover-up
7 Aug 2013 4:49 AM IST
World’s largest dairy exporter Fonterra on Monday apologised for its contaminated products that forced authorities across the world, including in China and Russia, to seize and recall its products containing toxins that could cause paralytic attacks. ‘We deeply apologise to the people who have been affected,’ said Theo Spierings, CEO of Fonterra. He insisted the company had informed customers and the authorities within 24 hours of confirming the contamination problem.
His comments came after China’s Food and Drug Administration instructed officials of three companies importing Fonterra products to ‘immediately stop selling and to recall all food products’made with questionable material. The diary giant on Sunday said tests had discovered Clostridium botulinum in its whey protein, which clients buy as raw material to produce baby formula and sports drinks.
Clostridium botulinum is one of the world’s strongest toxins and can destroy the human nervous system if ingested. In infants under one year, it can trigger neural paralysis. The scare triggered restrictions on Fonterra products imported into China, the world’s biggest market for baby formula. Dumex and Karicare, both subsidiaries of French food giant Danone, issued recalls in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand.
Russia also ordered a recall of Fonterra’s products and advised consumers against using them, medai reports said. Fonterra is the world’s largest dairy co-operative and New Zealand’s biggest company, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the country’s milk production in 2011.
The scandal unnerved millions of consumers who switched over to foreign brands after a series of scandals, including the one in 2008 which killed six children died and about three lakhs were poisoned after being exposed to milk powder tainted with melamine, a toxic chemical.
His comments came after China’s Food and Drug Administration instructed officials of three companies importing Fonterra products to ‘immediately stop selling and to recall all food products’made with questionable material. The diary giant on Sunday said tests had discovered Clostridium botulinum in its whey protein, which clients buy as raw material to produce baby formula and sports drinks.
Clostridium botulinum is one of the world’s strongest toxins and can destroy the human nervous system if ingested. In infants under one year, it can trigger neural paralysis. The scare triggered restrictions on Fonterra products imported into China, the world’s biggest market for baby formula. Dumex and Karicare, both subsidiaries of French food giant Danone, issued recalls in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand.
Russia also ordered a recall of Fonterra’s products and advised consumers against using them, medai reports said. Fonterra is the world’s largest dairy co-operative and New Zealand’s biggest company, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the country’s milk production in 2011.
The scandal unnerved millions of consumers who switched over to foreign brands after a series of scandals, including the one in 2008 which killed six children died and about three lakhs were poisoned after being exposed to milk powder tainted with melamine, a toxic chemical.
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