Importers recall tainted NZ milk powder
English.news.cn 2013-08-04 21:09:55 Sunday
BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's importers on Sunday began to recall
and seal products produced by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra due to safety
concerns over its allegedly contaminated whey protein that could cause
botulism.
The recall began after the General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) announced a list of four domestic companies that have imported whey products that may be contaminated with clostridium botulinum.
Fonterra said Friday that some of its whey protein produced in May 2012 was
found to be contaminated with the toxic bacteria.
The four importers are China's biggest food and beverage firms Hangzhou
Wahaha Health Food Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Wahaha Import & Export Co., Ltd.,
Shanghai Tangjiu (Group) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai-based Dumex Baby Food Co., Ltd., according to AQSIQ.
Baby formula maker Dumex said it is sealing imported Fonterra products and
recalling two of its branded formula products that were made with the whey
protein.
Dumex has produced 726.552 tonnes of its own milk powder products with the
potentially tainted materials and 420.188 tonnes have already been sold in
China's domestic market, the watchdog authorities said.
Among the seven batches weighing 208.55 tonnes of problematic products which Dumex purchased from Fonterra, 105.45 tonnes have been used for producing baby formula products,said Shanghai's municipal quality inspection authorities late Sunday.
Quality inspectors in Shanghai have demanded Dumex recall the relevant
products and track down its sales records.
On Sunday afternoon, relevant products of Dumex were removed from shelves in many supermarkets in Shanghai.
Zhu Yi, associate professor in food science and nutrition at China
Agricultural University, said clostridium botulinum can grow in canned food
which is inappropriately processed, packaged or stored, thus posing a big threat
to babies aged below one year.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce toxins and can cause botulism, a rare
but potentially life-threatening illness. Symptoms of botulism include nausea,
vomiting, drooping eyelids, difficult swallowing and paralysis.
The Wahaha Group, which owns two of the companies in question, has initiated
recalls for affected products despite finding no signs of contamination in them,
said the group's chairman Zong Qinghou.
The company imported from Fonterra about 14.5 tonnes of whey protein produced in May 2012 to process its dairy products, including its popular Nutri-Express drink, according to Zong.
The products hit shelves in October 2012 and the company is working to recall
any unsold items.
Shanghai Tangjiu, a Chinese agent for Fonterra products, said in a statement
that it had imported 4.8 tonnes of affected whey protein before selling them to
the Shanghai branch of Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola confirmed the news in a statement, which said 4.77 tonnes of the
ingredient had been sealed. The remaining whey protein was used to produce milk beverages that are now being recalled.
The latest scare dealt a fresh blow to sensitive Chinese consumers as an
increasing number of them have come to worship foreign brands after trust in
domestic producers has been hammered by a 2008 milk scandal, in which six
infants died for consuming baby milk tainted by melamine.
In the first half of this year, China's milk powder imports from New Zealand
jumped 34.3 percent year on year to reach 371,000 tonnes, accounting for 83.3
percent of its total imports, Chinese customs data showed.
AQSIQ on Sunday also issued a consumer warning for three batches of
Karicare-brand dairy products produced by New Zealand company Nutricia.
Nutricia has initiated preemptive recalls over concerns that some materials
supplied by Fonterra for the production of Karicare-brand products may be
contaminated.
The affected Karicare products are not officially imported to China, but may
have entered the country through other channels, AQSIQ said.
Related:
Video >> New Zealand's Fonterra finds bacteria in products
New Zealand gov't names infant formula brand in Fonterra botulism alert
WELLINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries
(MPI) on Saturday released details of one Fonterra- sourced product on the New Zealand market that may potentially contain a botulism-causing bacteria.
The dairy company has said the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum was found in
three batches of its whey protein - a product used in many foods including baby
formula and sports drinks. Full story
Nutrica recalls Karicare infant formula in New Zealand
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-08/04/c_132599794.htm
WELLINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The maker of Karicare, an infant formula, has
recalled two products from the New Zealand market.
A statement on Nutricia's website said on Sunday that safety for customers is
its primary concern. Full story
Fonterra confirms involvement in China dairy products probe
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-07/04/c_132512836.htm
WELLINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra revealed
Thursday that it was helping Chinese authorities with an investigation into
dairy products in China.
A brief statement from the company confirmed it had been contacted by the
China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) regarding "a current broad-ranging investigation of consumer dairy products." Full story
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-07/04/c_132512836.htm
English.news.cn 2013-08-04 21:09:55 Sunday
BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's importers on Sunday began to recall
and seal products produced by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra due to safety
concerns over its allegedly contaminated whey protein that could cause
botulism.
The recall began after the General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) announced a list of four domestic companies that have imported whey products that may be contaminated with clostridium botulinum.
Fonterra said Friday that some of its whey protein produced in May 2012 was
found to be contaminated with the toxic bacteria.
The four importers are China's biggest food and beverage firms Hangzhou
Wahaha Health Food Co., Ltd., Hangzhou Wahaha Import & Export Co., Ltd.,
Shanghai Tangjiu (Group) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai-based Dumex Baby Food Co., Ltd., according to AQSIQ.
Baby formula maker Dumex said it is sealing imported Fonterra products and
recalling two of its branded formula products that were made with the whey
protein.
Dumex has produced 726.552 tonnes of its own milk powder products with the
potentially tainted materials and 420.188 tonnes have already been sold in
China's domestic market, the watchdog authorities said.
Among the seven batches weighing 208.55 tonnes of problematic products which Dumex purchased from Fonterra, 105.45 tonnes have been used for producing baby formula products,said Shanghai's municipal quality inspection authorities late Sunday.
Quality inspectors in Shanghai have demanded Dumex recall the relevant
products and track down its sales records.
On Sunday afternoon, relevant products of Dumex were removed from shelves in many supermarkets in Shanghai.
Zhu Yi, associate professor in food science and nutrition at China
Agricultural University, said clostridium botulinum can grow in canned food
which is inappropriately processed, packaged or stored, thus posing a big threat
to babies aged below one year.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce toxins and can cause botulism, a rare
but potentially life-threatening illness. Symptoms of botulism include nausea,
vomiting, drooping eyelids, difficult swallowing and paralysis.
The Wahaha Group, which owns two of the companies in question, has initiated
recalls for affected products despite finding no signs of contamination in them,
said the group's chairman Zong Qinghou.
The company imported from Fonterra about 14.5 tonnes of whey protein produced in May 2012 to process its dairy products, including its popular Nutri-Express drink, according to Zong.
The products hit shelves in October 2012 and the company is working to recall
any unsold items.
Shanghai Tangjiu, a Chinese agent for Fonterra products, said in a statement
that it had imported 4.8 tonnes of affected whey protein before selling them to
the Shanghai branch of Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola confirmed the news in a statement, which said 4.77 tonnes of the
ingredient had been sealed. The remaining whey protein was used to produce milk beverages that are now being recalled.
The latest scare dealt a fresh blow to sensitive Chinese consumers as an
increasing number of them have come to worship foreign brands after trust in
domestic producers has been hammered by a 2008 milk scandal, in which six
infants died for consuming baby milk tainted by melamine.
In the first half of this year, China's milk powder imports from New Zealand
jumped 34.3 percent year on year to reach 371,000 tonnes, accounting for 83.3
percent of its total imports, Chinese customs data showed.
AQSIQ on Sunday also issued a consumer warning for three batches of
Karicare-brand dairy products produced by New Zealand company Nutricia.
Nutricia has initiated preemptive recalls over concerns that some materials
supplied by Fonterra for the production of Karicare-brand products may be
contaminated.
The affected Karicare products are not officially imported to China, but may
have entered the country through other channels, AQSIQ said.
Related:
Video >> New Zealand's Fonterra finds bacteria in products
New Zealand gov't names infant formula brand in Fonterra botulism alert
WELLINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries
(MPI) on Saturday released details of one Fonterra- sourced product on the New Zealand market that may potentially contain a botulism-causing bacteria.
The dairy company has said the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum was found in
three batches of its whey protein - a product used in many foods including baby
formula and sports drinks. Full story
Nutrica recalls Karicare infant formula in New Zealand
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-08/04/c_132599794.htm
WELLINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The maker of Karicare, an infant formula, has
recalled two products from the New Zealand market.
A statement on Nutricia's website said on Sunday that safety for customers is
its primary concern. Full story
Fonterra confirms involvement in China dairy products probe
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-07/04/c_132512836.htm
WELLINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra revealed
Thursday that it was helping Chinese authorities with an investigation into
dairy products in China.
A brief statement from the company confirmed it had been contacted by the
China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) regarding "a current broad-ranging investigation of consumer dairy products." Full story
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2013-07/04/c_132512836.htm
A recall notice of Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 (0-6 months) and Karicare Gold+ Follow On Formula Stage 2 (6-12 months) is seen on a supermarket shelf in Wellington, capital of New Zealand, on Aug. 4, 2013. Nutricia, the maker of Karicare, an infant formula, has recalled two products from the New Zealand market. Nutricia is now recalling Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 (0-6 months), with batch numbers 3169 and 3170 and use by dates of 17 06 2016 and 18 06 2016. Also being recalled is Karicare Gold+ Follow On Formula Stage 2 (6-12 months), with batch number D3183 and a use by date of 31 12 2014. (Xinhua/Huang Xingwei)