Fonterra re-exposed to dicyandiamide

The New Zealand dairy giant has not yet fully emerged from the botulism of Botox, and has fallen into another quagmire of dicyandiamide. Foreign media reported yesterday that the Sri Lankan government announced that it detected chemical substances dicyandiamide in a variety of New Zealand imported milk powder including Fonterra, although the New Zealand government promised that low levels of dicyandiamide in foods would not harm consumers. Health, but the Sri Lankan government ordered all New Zealand imported milk powder products to be completely removed within 48 hours. In response, Fonterra Group issued an emergency statement last night arguing that its products were contaminated with dicyandiamide, stressing that Anga products have not been completely banned in Sri Lanka.

The test results are different. Fonterra products are taken off in Sri Lanka

The incident originated in May this year when the Sri Lankan government issued a reminder that Fonterra products may contain residual dicyandiamide. Foreign media reported that Sri Lanka’s Industrial Technology Research Institute recently detected a number of New Zealand milk powders containing dicyandiamide, which includes the Angar brand under the Fonterra Group. Subsequently, the Sri Lankan government ordered all of New Zealand to import milk powder. At the same time, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health also requires all imported milk powder merchants to provide proof that their products do not contain dicyandiamide from designated laboratories.

Affected by this turmoil, Sri Lanka's neighboring country, the Maldives, also issued orders for Fonterra's products.

In its statement, Fonterra emphasized that Anka products have not been completely banned in Sri Lanka.

Leon Clement, General Manager of Fonterra Consumer Dairy in Sri Lanka, stated: “The Sri Lanka Ministry of Health just requested that we recall two batches of products tested by ITI last month.”

He said, “Although an independent, internationally accredited and authoritative laboratory conducted 202 tests on Fonterra’s consumer dairy products in Sri Lanka, and none of the DCD residues were found, we did so according to the Sri Lankan government’s instructions. Some products are out of shelves and it is expected that all related products will be removed within the next 48 hours."

The two batches of products that were unloaded this time are: Anjia 1+ with lot number 107610163 and Anjia batch number 0605C0883.

Does China's Imported Products Involve Dicyandiamide?

According to reports, in January this year, Fonterra was exposed to a small amount of milk and milk powder found in the sampling inspection last September containing a small amount of chemical residues of dicyandiamide. After the incident, Wayne McNee, the director of the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industry, said that less than 5% of New Zealand farms use dicyandiamide and only use it twice a year. Each use only leaves a small amount of pasture in a few days, which means that only a very small number of New Zealand cows are exposed to DCD for a very limited time. McNee also emphasized that "There has been no use of DCD in New Zealand since September 2012 and it has been discontinued. New Zealand dairy products currently produced cannot have residual DCD."

At the time, Fonterra also stated that the company had tested a total of about 100 samples and found that trace amounts of DCD residue were found in whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder and cheese powder in approximately 10 samples produced in September 2012; There was no DCD found in infant formula. However, New Zealand has not recalled or stopped the sale of dairy products that contain a small amount of chemical residues containing dicyandiamide. New Zealand's Ministry of Industry press officer Jose Vidal said that because of the use of dicyandiamide in pastures, the product contains trace amounts of double Residues of cyanamide will not pose a food safety issue, nor will it pose any risk to human health and animal health.

Then, whether the products related to dicyandiamide detected in Sri Lanka are involved in the Chinese market, the Fonterra side has yet to further confirm. It is understood that Fonterra is the world's largest exporter of dairy products. In 2012, Fonterra products accounted for 21% of the global dairy market's exports, and 46% of the global exports of whole milk powder.

It has been reported that dicyandiamide can be used as a compound fertilizer. Such chemicals, such as inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin, are harmful to the human body, but the risk of acute poisoning is minimal, and there is no toxicity such as reproduction, gene, and carcinogenesis.