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Botulism contamination of Fonterra products

R

Riddles

New member
Breaking news breaking news. I'll just copy and paste the news article. From ABC.

New Zealand dairy giant issues global botulism alert - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[FONT=&quot]New Zealand's main dairy exporter, Fonterra, has found a strain of bacteria that can cause botulism in some of its products.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The bacteria was found in three batches of whey protein which is used in many foods, including baby formula.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]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.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]New Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries has confirmed the tainted products include infant formula, sports drinks, protein drinks and other beverages.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Potentially fatal botulism is one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning, often leading to paralysis.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fonterra, which manufactured the product more than a year ago, said eight customers had been advised and were investigating whether any of the affected product was in their supply chains.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If necessary, contaminated consumer products would be recalled, the company said in a statement.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There have been no reports of any illness linked to consumption of the affected whey protein.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]New Zealand trade minister Tim Groser said health authorities around the world, including the World Health Organisation, had also been alerted to the contamination.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"As soon as New Zealand authorities were notified of this risk, we immediately acted to inform relevant authorities around the world," Mr Groser said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"This has included formally notifying Infosan, the World Health Organisation's international food safety regulators network. As more information on this issue is confirmed we will provide our trading partners with further updates.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"We understand that the markets to which contaminated whey protein concentrate, or products using this ingredient, has been exported are Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sports drinks, baby formula in botulism scare[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fonterra said the affected product was used in a range of drinks including infant formula and sports drinks.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"We are doing everything we can to assist our customers in ensuring any product containing this ingredient is removed from the marketplace and that the public is made aware," Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Three batches of whey protein concentrate manufactured in May last year recently tested positive for Clostridium botulinum.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The batches have been used to form 870 tonnes of products sold in a variety of markets, the Ministry for Primary Industries' acting director general Scott Gallacher said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The symptoms of botulism include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, followed by paralysis, and it can be fatal if not treated.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fonterra said the potential impact on someone consuming a contaminated product would depend on their age and the amount they consumed.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For an adult, a small amount of contaminated whey protein "would probably pass through unnoticed", Fonterra's managing director of New Zealand milk products, Gary Romano, told reporters.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Dairy exports are New Zealand's major earner and its products are particularly popular in Asia, where they are considered the gold standard.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]According to government data the dairy industry contributes 2.8 per cent to New Zealand's GDP and about 25 per cent of its exports. It is worth NZ$10.4 billion (US$8.5 billion) annually.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]New Zealand accounts for one-third of the world's cross-border trade in dairy products.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, reported revenues of NZ$19.8 billion in the 2012 financial year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Key points[/FONT]

  • [FONT=&quot]Strain of bacteria that can cause botulism found in some Fonterra products[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]Products had been exported to Australia, China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Vietnam[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]Fonterra said it would recall contaminated consumer products, if necessary[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]The affected product was used in a range of drinks including infant formula and sports drinks[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]Dairy exports are New Zealand's major earner and its products are particularly popular in Asia[/FONT]
 
Fonterra Says Botulism May Be in Tainted Whey Protein - WSJ.com

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand's billion-dollar dairy industry was dealt a blow Saturday when Fonterra Co-Operative Group Ltd., FCG.NZ -0.56% the world's largest dairy exporter, said some of its product used in infant formula and sports drinks may contain botulism, which can cause severe and even deadly food poisoning.
Fonterra said it has advised eight customers about a "quality issue" involving three batches of whey protein concentrate produced in a New Zealand manufacturing plant in May 2012. In total, 38 metric tonnes of primary ingredient were involved.
Fonterra said the issue was identified in March and intensive testing was carried out to isolate the specific bacteria. On Wednesday, tests indicated the potential presence of Clostridium Botulinum, which can cause botulism, it said.
"It is in a range of different products and they have different amounts of sensitivity. The one that honestly we are concerned about is infant formula that's been made from this product," Gary Romano, Fonterra's managing director for New Zealand milk products, said at a media briefing.
Mr. Romano declined to identify any of the customers or countries involved. The dairy giant has customers across the globe. "It is now up to those eight customers, in conjunction with their regulatory authorities, to make statements where appropriate," he said.
While he offered no specifics, Chief Executive Theo Spierings is traveling to China Saturday and one of the reasons for his visit is this issue, said Kerry Underhill, Fonterra's director of communications.
China is a key market for Fonterra and consumers are particularly sensitive about infant formula since 2008 when at least six children died and 300,000 became sick from milk containing dangerous levels of melamine, a chemical that mimics the properties of protein, allowing producers to water down milk without apparently diluting its nutritional value. Fonterra owned a large stake in one of the companies at the center of the scandal, the now-defunct Sanlu Group, but Fonterra has flourished in China since Sanlu's closing.
New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries said it was working to ensure there are no contaminated products on the New Zealand market and MPI Acting Director General Scott Gallacher said the government had advised the appropriate regulatory authorities in overseas markets of the situation.
While Fonterra said there are no reports of any illness linked to consumption, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a very small amount—a few nanograms—of toxin can cause illness. While the incidence of the disease is low, "the mortality rate is high if not treated immediately and properly," the FDA said on its website.
Mr. Romano said the problem was caused by an unsanitary pipe that wasn't correctly sterilized. He said the length of time between detection and confirmation was due to the extensive testing that was carried out.
Along with infant formula, the whey protein concentrate is used in a range of products, including milk powder and sports drinks, said Mr. Romano. Fonterra said that fresh milk, yogurt, cheese, spreads and UHT milk products aren't affected.
New Zealand's milk industry was rocked earlier this year when Fonterra admitted that traces of the chemical dicyandiamide, or DCD, had been found in milk powder late last year, but the market wasn't told until January.
 
Bloody hell, we just can't win. brb buying a farm so I can hand raise and slaughter my own cattle for dairy and meat.
 
I think I remember someone commenting that they are or used to be involved in food quality testing and how rigorous it was. According to articles, the contaminated batch was made in May 2012. Why is this only coming out now? Surely the testing and results would have been known well before now.
 
Seriously though what are the chances of actually getting crook from it, then what are the chances it would be serious instead of just upset guts for a couple days.

Isn't botulism one of the most common causes of normal old food poisoning you get from dodgy thai or indian.

Sounds like a storm in a tea cup.

Except the infant formula that could be bad shit.
 
Interested to see BN's response to this.

I probably wont get protein for a while... even though I'm feeling lean as fuck at 25% bodyfat it's probably too early in my diet (2 weeks) to start bulking again @#$$@
 
I just saw this on the morning news.
An example of what is done when faulty product is found within a company.
I would have expected no less from a Billion dollar company.

- Aware the customers via media
- Tell them which batch specifically it was

The only thing the public are now waiting on is if a recall will take place.

It doesn't matter how little the contamination is in recent stock of Fonterra Whey, you make the announcement just the same. It's professionalism within the company.

We'll still be switching to them regardless, but as mentioned, a switch doesn't take place all within a couple of weeks from when you decide you want to switch sources. We're still looking at a late 2013, early 2014 date by the time this happens and that's as quick as things can happen.

Just standard precautions by Fonterra. It only makes them look trustworthy.
 
Surely this damages the value of said future fonterra deal - consumer perception may have an end result of less sales due to untrusted source
 
which again goes to show why any reputable company no matter how big or small they are , if they respect their customers and the value of their business they would do QA/QC of the products
 
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