Bangladesh Holds Import of Powdered Milk from New Zealand

Officials reveal that Bangladesh authorities have restricted imports of powdered milk mostly from New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra following a contamination scare that has seen global recalls.

Customs officials are holding more than 600 tonnes of powdered milk mostly from Fonterra until mandatory chemical tests showed they were safe, a senior official in the port city of Chittagong said.

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New Zealand seized control of Fonterra's response to a milk contamination scare after criticising the dairy giant's handling of a crisis.

"Samples have been sent for chemical tests, we will release them when reports confirm they are not containing any harmful bacteria," joint secretary of the city’s customs office, Mahmudul Hasan, told AFP.

Officials have been instructed to hold consignments of milk at the border following the recall by Fonterra earlier this month of baby milk products over concerns they could contain a bacteria that could cause botulism, which is potentially fatal.

"We have instructed the customs officials to restrict delivery of those consignments pending chemical tests, because this is a matter of public health," commerce secretary Mahbub Ahmed told AFP.

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The success of their pilot programme in Northland primary schools has inspired Fonterra to extend the offer of free milk to all 350,000 primary school children from next year onwards.

The global scare sparked restrictions on imports of Fonterra-branded dairy products by countries including China since early this month.

Sri Lanka last week lifted a ban on the sale of Fonterra milk products, after two batches of powered milk were recalled on claims they contained traces of the chemical DCD.

Kiwi Dairy Giant Forced to Recall Milk Powder Following Fears of Farm Chemical Contamination in Sri Lanka
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has been rocked by another contamination problem after reports suggested that milk powder in Sri Lanka had been contaminated with a farm chemical.

Since July last year, Bangladesh has imported around 21,000 tonnes of powdered milk mainly from Fonterra, officials said.

The recent scare has tainted the New Zealand food industry’s "clean, green" image and threatens a dairy sector that is responsible for 25 percent of the country’s exports.

China Orders Abbott to Recall It's Baby Formula
Chinese authorities has said that the country has ordered US pharmaceutical company Abbott to recall some products in the country over a botulism scare centred on New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra.

While no infants fell sick as a result of the contamination, the company was accused of mishandling the situation by releasing information too slowly and then giving out incomplete data when it did finally go public.

A top Fonterra executive has quit over the scare.

Source-AFP