NZ ‘strongly regrets’ contaminated milk

New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said on a visit to Beijing Thursday that his government "strongly regrets" the contaminated milk products scandal and concerns it has caused Chinese consumers.

But the China-New Zealand relationship remains strong, McCully said.

The remarks came at a time when the scandal-beset dairy giant Fonterra confirmed on Thursday that a batch of milk powder exported to China had been stopped by Chinese authorities for having excessive nitrate levels.

The 42 tons of milk powder failed to meet the Chinese specifications in a Chinese border test in May 2012, though they had passed tests before leaving New Zealand, said Ian Palliser, Fonterra's director of food safety and quality.

"There are times when test findings differ between country of origin and country of destination. This can be due to a variety of reasons, including changes in product conditions during shipment, and different laboratories and testing methodologies," he said, adding that the product was immediately put on hold and didn't enter the market.

Palliser said the company has accepted the result and informed Chinese and New Zealand regulators.

Fonterra has been swamped in a crisis of botulism contamination that tainted some 38 tons of whey protein.

The company's chief executive, Theo Spierings, also pledged to set up quality checks at its plants in New Zealand, as ingredients or products consumed by infants and very young children need extra quality assurance.

"The additional assurance at Hautapu and our five other nutritional plants over the coming months will encompass further checking and servicing of all equipment and processes to ensure they continue to meet the highest possible international standards, " he said, adding that the program would begin next week.

Fonterra is not the only New Zealand dairy company which has suffered from a safety crisis. Westland Milk Products was involved in a food safety alert over a batch of its product exported to China.

"While trade and economic issues currently dominate the agenda, my discussions in Beijing have been wide-ranging and have emphasized the extent of our shared interests," McCully said, adding that the New Zealand government has high expectations for its exports, including the application of strict food safety standards, and it plans to take remedial action.

"Both Chinese and New Zealand ministers acknowledge that Fonterra has work to do in the coming weeks to rebuild consumer confidence," he said.

The New Zealand government announced Monday that its investigation into the Fonterra scandal would look at the causes of and the official response to the botulism scare.

Special Report:

New Zealand Contaminated Milk Scare