New Zealand's dairy companies are back in the world food safety spotlight following an eco-terrorism threat to poison infant formula.
Fonterra halted trading in its shares on Tuesday in response to the threat to contaminate infant formula with sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) poison, and the NZ Stock Exchange then asked other listed NZ dairy companies to do likewise.
The threats were reportedly made to Fonterra and Federated Farmers and called on the government to stop using 1080 for pest control by the end of March.
News of the threats began circulating this week, and police then revealed they were made in November, and that a major investigation has followed.
Although it is thought the threats were a hoax, the New Zealand prime minister, John Key, addressed the media to allay fears. The country's major trading partners have also been briefed in an attempt to avoid panic.
The NZ government said in a statement that industry and retailers had put in place additional protection since threats were made and as a result, consumers could “continue using infant formula with confidence”.
Fonterra also said it believed that the threat posed no health risk to consumers. According to its chief executive Theo Spierings, the company is testing every tanker of raw milk that it processes.
As a result, he said, the company could fully assure its customers and consumers that all of its milk and products are safe and of high quality, and that its supply chain continued to be secure and world-class.
“We are playing our part in helping the government manage the criminal threat, as is the rest of the dairy industry.
“We have taken immediate and decisive steps to give our customers and consumers added confidence – including increased testing and security measures,” he said.
According to Spierings, Fonterra has worked with the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to establish a validated testing regime that is being used by the dairy industry for both raw milk and dairy products targeted by the threat.
He said Fonterra began its own testing regime in mid-January to provide its customers with further assurances as to the safety of its products.
He said Fonterra is testing all paediatric products and nutritional base powders that it manufactures as well as all paediatric products and nutritional base powders manufactured after 1 September 2014.
The testing methods that Fonterra uses are validated and have been approved by the MPI. The laboratories undertaking the testing are accredited to ISO 17025 and are MPI recognised dairy laboratories.
