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Fonterra, world's leading dairy exporter admits four food-safety violations

Friday, March 14th 2014 - 10:07 UTC
Full article 4 comments
The leading company is accused of processing and exporting dairy products which did not meet standards The leading company is accused of processing and exporting dairy products which did not meet standards

New Zealand's Fonterra has admitted four food-safety violations following a botulism scare last year that led to recalls of milk products in China. Government officials had filed charges against the dairy company, accusing it of processing and exporting dairy products which did not meet standards.

 Fonterra is also accused of failing to issue notification about its products not being fit for consumption. The charges come as Fonterra faces civil court action from Danone.

Earlier this year, the French company said it was suing Fonterra over recalls which Danone alleged led to the company losing hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Danone uses Fonterra ingredients in its infant milk formula.

Maury Leyland, a Fronterra manager said: “We have accepted all four charges, which are consistent with the findings of our operational review and the Independent Board Inquiry.”

The dairy co-operative has since stepped up its quality control procedures.

In August last year Fonterra sparked a worldwide product recall and food-safety scare when it admitted there could be a bacteria in one of its products which could cause botulism, a severe form of food poisoning.

The product suspected of containing the bacteria which could cause botulism was commonly used in infant formula. But the bacteria scare turned out to be a false alarm when later tests found another strain, but of a less harmful kind which does not cause food poisoning.

The threat of botulism led to many countries including China blocking imports of dairy products from New Zealand. The import ban was lifted about three weeks after the initial scare.

Fonterra is the biggest dairy firm in New Zealand, which is the world's largest exporter of dairy products.

Top Comments

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  • Klingon

    They sent out a memo for the farmers to stop pissing in the milk vats.
    Fonterra is right up there with Monsanto.
    Many farms in NZ have gone from family run operations to giant corporations.
    Now the roads are full of giant milk trucks driving 100's of kilometers to Fronterras milk processing plants causing congestion and destroying the roads.

    Mar 14th, 2014 - 11:32 am 0
  • Chicureo

    You know, it's really sad. I always thought that NZ products would be safe and of the highest standards. In Chile you can find whipped cream in cans that I purchased thinking I was getting the very best quality.

    Mar 14th, 2014 - 01:48 pm 0
  • Klingon

    Kiwi's ego's get ahead of them sometimes. They like to think they are the best and smartest at everything.

    Mar 14th, 2014 - 05:40 pm 0
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