New Zealand dairy giant issues global botulism alert: Thailand at risk

[Lite Beer]

New Zealand dairy giant issues global botulism alert

Authorities in New Zealand have recalled up to 1,000 tonnes of dairy products across seven countries, including Australia, because of a contamination scare.

The country's biggest dairy producer Fonterra has reported that tests have found a strain of bacteria in batches of whey protein that can cause botulism.

New Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries has confirmed the tainted products include infant formula, sports and protein drinks and other beverages.

The government said the contaminated whey protein concentrate, or products using this ingredient, had been exported to Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Potentially fatal botulism is one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning, often leading to paralysis.

The ministry's acting director-general, Scott Gallacher, says the government is trying to clarify the full extent of the problem.

"Over the last 24 hours, things have been very fluid," he said.

"Information has been changing on a rapid basis as we try to get to grips with exactly the situation and scenario that we're dealing with."

Read More: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-03/new-zealand-dairy-giant-issues-global-botulism-alert/4863344

--ABC 2013-08-03

[retell]

the most important part is MISSING, WHICH BRANDS of infant formula and sportsdrinks !!!

or we must be glad that it gets reported at all

[Lite Beer]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/03/us-newzealand-milk-bacteria-idUSBRE97202O20130803

[Gsxrnz]

It's surprising that the contaminated batches actually got through Fonterra's QC system. NZ food safety standards are amongst the highest in the world and Fonterra's own internal regulations for collection and processing of raw milk are so stringent it's OTT. Even their requirements for 3rd party storage companies is verging on the ridiculous.

I sincerely hope that the contaminated product is satisfactorily traced and end products are withdrawn before anybody suffers illness or worse.

However - Fonterra is an overly powerful co-operative and also too big for their boots in the dairy servicing industry in NZ. I've got no real sympathy for Fonterra and this will bring a wry smile to many of those that are service providers to them.

[retell]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/03/us-newzealand-milk-bacteria-idUSBRE97202O20130803

ok read the whole thing again and still no info over brands in thailand

but thanks for the link

(luckily no milk powder in beer )

[Gsxrnz]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/03/us-newzealand-milk-bacteria-idUSBRE97202O20130803

ok read the whole thing again and still no info over brands in thailand

but thanks for the link

(luckily no milk powder in beer )

Milk stout?

Vile stuff but worth flogging from my Mum's stash when I was about 12 or so, along with the Player's Plain Navy Cut smokes - the stout and the non-filters separated the men from the boys pretty quickly back in the day.

[Felt 35]

I think I drop the Musashi protein hereafter.............

[Saan]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/03/us-newzealand-milk-bacteria-idUSBRE97202O20130803

ok read the whole thing again and still no info over brands in thailand

but thanks for the link

(luckily no milk powder in beer )

Mainland cheese is one of their brands available in Thailand. Not a bad cheese in the packaged range but I think I'll give it a miss for awhile. I don't see the supermarkets here running to take it off their shelves.

[gentman]

what precaution can comsumers get, if they dont name the products and what year manuf.

[retell]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/03/us-newzealand-milk-bacteria-idUSBRE97202O20130803

ok read the whole thing again and still no info over brands in thailand

but thanks for the link

(luckily no milk powder in beer )

Mainland cheese is one of their brands available in Thailand. Not a bad cheese in the packaged range but I think I'll give it a miss for awhile. I don't see the supermarkets here running to take it off their shelves.

good i dont like that cheese anyway , i am more concerned about the babymilk , which brands take their ingredients from them i find that they do bussines with alene but i did not find any more info on in which brands

[retell]

where to start i use milk powder together with fresh milk in my icecreams

[doremifasol]

Fonterra

Formed in 2001 to represent most New Zealand dairy farmers, Fonterra is the world’s biggest dairy exporter. It suffered a setback in China in 2008 after an adulterated milk powder scandal affecting Sanlu, 43-per-cent-owned by Fonterra. The milk powder was adulterated with melamine, affecting thousands of Chinese infants and killing six. Sanlu was declared bankrupt and several managers were sentenced to prison. In 2013, Fonterra also sought to reassure the market after Dicyandiamide, also known as DCD, was found in exported New Zealand milk. DCD is used to stop nitrogen leaching on farms.

China in 2008

Check the date and the article below. A coincidence?

Thursday, 18 July, 2013

New Zealand’s Fonterra - the world’s largest dairy producer - will cut the price of one of it milk formula products in China, joining a growing list of firms responding to Beijing’s investigation into the sector.

Auckland-based Fonterra said it will reduce prices by up to 9 per cent for its Anmum brand of maternal milk products from Aug. 1. The move comes as the company prepares to enter China’s booming branded infant milk formula market later this year.

http://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/1285160/nzs-fonterra-cuts-milk-product-prices-china-amid-probe

Edited August 4, 2013 by doremifasol

[retell]

find it strange that a product they make in may shows up to have been contaminated in august

NZ gov should close the whole firm and let it go through their most thorough investigation procedures

i hate stuff like this

Edited August 4, 2013 by retell

[laislica]

find it strange that a product they make in may shows up to have been contaminated in august

NZ gov should close the whole firm and let it go through their most thorough investigation procedures

i hate stuff like this

Not strange to me:

Kickbacks to high officials etc,

no need to say more?

[nong38]

Nothing to do with skin whiteening but I saw a connection to coca cola and sports drinks, best stick to Chang for while til it all bowls over.

Whats a kick back?

[geriatrickid]

the most important part is MISSING, WHICH BRANDS of infant formula and sportsdrinks !!!

or we must be glad that it gets reported at all

The brands that contain whey protein. Look at the list of ingredients on the item. If there is whey protein and you are concerned, don't purchase it until you know, the specific brand. If the product does not have the whey protein as an ingredient, then no worries. Using the ingredient as opposed to a brand name may prove more effective in allaying your concerns because the product can be used in private label brands or sold on as an ingredient to other food processors such as candy makers, biscuit bakers and prepared meal manufacturers in the service sector.

Any product that used the contaminated whey protein product may have to be recalled.

[geriatrickid]

find it strange that a product they make in may shows up to have been contaminated in august

NZ gov should close the whole firm and let it go through their most thorough investigation procedures

i hate stuff like this

Not strange to me:

Kickbacks to high officials etc,

no need to say more?

An unfounded allegation. You have absolutely no evidence upon which to offer your malicious and misleading statement.

The article gave a very good indication of what happened and the products implicated. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

You may not realize it, but contamination of food products is a regular occurrence. The QC protocols in place pick it up. In the good old days, no one knew until people were sick and dying.

There is no need to say more.

[ThaidDown]

Dumex Step 2 recall reported by The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Dumex-Step-2-recalled-in-Thailand-30211889.html

[gedster]

The Newzealand/Australia brands are Nutricia Karicare Products.

Link to full story here: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/2013/08/05/09/24/nz-pm-criticises-fonterra-whey-alert-delay

[cloudhopper]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/fonterra-chief-heads-china-amid-botulism-scare-ck-143803

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/03/us-newzealand-milk-bacteria-idUSBRE97202O20130803

ok read the whole thing again and still no info over brands in thailand

but thanks for the link

(luckily no milk powder in beer )

Mainland cheese is one of their brands available in Thailand. Not a bad cheese in the packaged range but I think I'll give it a miss for awhile. I don't see the supermarkets here running to take it off their shelves.

I happen to have an Edam from Mainland in the fridge and there is no whey listed in the ingredients so I think you will be OK. Anywhey I would have thought that batch would have already been consumed by now, or enough to cause an outbreak should there be enough contamination for one.

[Bluespunk]

"The ministry's acting director-general, Scott Gallacher, says the government is trying to clarify the full extent of the problem.

"Over the last 24 hours, things have been very fluid," he said."

Especially if you've eaten any of these products

[xylophone]

Cheese products are not affected and IMO the whole thing has been blown out of proportion, and the potentially contaminated milk powder batches have been traced. So let's get things into perspective:-

A scientist has said that botulism is dangerous and there have been 2 deaths in 35 years in NZ.........startling isn't it!!

The melamine additive used to bolster milk in China was added by the Chinese without the knowledge of Fonterra, and the Dicyandiamide (also known as DCD) found in exported New Zealand milk was well below international safety standards as it is fairly commonly used in dairy farms, so a big scare about nothing

"Fonterra told Nutricia on Friday night that some of the whey protein they used in their infant formula might be contaminated with a botulism causing bacterium caused by a dirty pipe at the company's Hautapu plant.

Ms Tap said they narrowed the potential contamination to five batches of the formula which were all still in Nutricia's supply chain and not on the shelves.

There have not been any confirmed reports of illness from the infant formula".

Face it, if you live in Thailand you can be eating food contaminated by gecko, mice and rat droppings, indiscriminate used of pesticides, generally unhygienic conditions, washed and prepared in contaminated water, prepared by folk who rarely wash their hands.......and the list goes on!

The NZ dairy industry has the highest health and safety standards in the world, and it just shows that even then some small thing can slip through. At least they have owned up and recalled the suspect batches knowing full well that there would be "fallout", but better than just letting it go into the system.

I would much prefer a company like this to be my supplier.

[Bluespunk]

Wonder how the pizza company feel about having their product advertised on this thread?

[kdw512]

the most important part is MISSING, WHICH BRANDS of infant formula and sportsdrinks !!!

or we must be glad that it gets reported at all

Stay away from anything imported from NZ until then, is what I'm going to do.

[WitawatWatawit]

the most important part is MISSING, WHICH BRANDS of infant formula and sportsdrinks !!!

or we must be glad that it gets reported at all

Stay away from anything imported from NZ until then, is what I'm going to do.

Read xylophone's post #22 and stop being an hysterical idiot.

[Chicken George]

We are using Hi Q step 1.. not a pronlem as manufactured in Sept 2012.. be surprised if any new stuff has come through yet. Only bought ours last week. But very important to check and let others know..

[unanimosity]

the most important part is MISSING, WHICH BRANDS of infant formula and sportsdrinks !!!

or we must be glad that it gets reported at all

Yes, and their products are used in other company brands so they are reluctant to report it because they feel it is the responsibility of the other company brands using their products to report which of their brands are at risk. Bottom line, no dair for a while since nobody is owning up to which brands are involved.

[unanimosity]

the most important part is MISSING, WHICH BRANDS of infant formula and sportsdrinks !!!

or we must be glad that it gets reported at all

The brands that contain whey protein. Look at the list of ingredients on the item. If there is whey protein and you are concerned, don't purchase it until you know, the specific brand. If the product does not have the whey protein as an ingredient, then no worries. Using the ingredient as opposed to a brand name may prove more effective in allaying your concerns because the product can be used in private label brands or sold on as an ingredient to other food processors such as candy makers, biscuit bakers and prepared meal manufacturers in the service sector.

Any product that used the contaminated whey protein product may have to be recalled.

Guess that helps those that can read Thai labels.

[Lite Beer]

Fonterra dairy products to be pulled out of local market

BANGKOK, 5 Aug 2013, (NNT) - New Zealand's dairy products giant Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited has issued a warning that its milk products exported to to 8 trading partner companies in 6 countries including Thailand may have contained botulism bacteria.

In light of Fonterra's move to recall its product, Deputy Secretary General of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Srinuan Kodchakorn said the FDA has instructed the local importers of the New Zealand's products to quickly pull the goods bought during May 2013 off the shelves.

The FDA will today conduct a random inspection of processed milk powder in local markets, the Deputy Secretary General said, adding that the next batch of imported dairy products will be subject to FDA's thorough inspection before being released to the public.

The botulism bacteria can cause weakness when introduced into the body, and is lethal if ingested by small children. The contaminated milk cannot be detected by naked eyes.

Thai leading processed milk provider Dumex has recently recalled several of its products, including Dupro Formula 2, Hi-Q Formula 1 and 2, Hi-Q Formula Super Gold Formula 1 and 2, all of which were produced between April and May of this year.

-- NNT 2013-08-05

[lineofentry]

'Things are liquid' - Yup, that's a symptom.