Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, said on Monday it has reassured its global customers that New Zealand dairy products are safe following the discovery of traces of a potentially toxic substance in milk samples.
Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, said on Monday it has reassured its global customers that New Zealand dairy products are safe following the discovery of traces of a potentially toxic substance in milk samples.
The New Zealand firm said its testing had found "minute traces" in some of its products of dicyandiamide (DCD), a chemical used in fertilisers to prevent them from soaking into rivers, which can be toxic in large amounts.
Reports of the DCD detection prompted Taiwan, Chinese mainland and Malaysia to examine their dairy imports at the weekend, local media in those areas reported.
Fonterra, which was linked through a Chinese subsidiary to the 2008 melamine-tainted milk scandal in which at least six children died, said in a statement it had assured its customers that the detected DCD levels were no threat to human health.
"Customers are satisfied with our answers and the anxiety is dying down," Chief Executive Theo Spierings said later on Radio New Zealand, describing reports questioning the safety of New Zealand milk as "rumours and speculation".
He said the DCD levels found in tests last year were "100 times less than European standards".
The fertiliser companies making the product have suspended its sale. Fonterra has been working with the government and the industry since last November to resolve the issue, Spierings said.
Fonterra is New Zealand's largest company with revenues of around NZ$20 billion ($16.8 billion), and is looking to expand in Asia to tap into the region's growing demand for dairy goods.
More than 90 percent of milk collected in New Zealand is exported, mainly for use by other firms as an ingredient in everything from infant formula to cheese on frozen pizzas.
The news prompted slight selling in the New Zealand dollar late last week, while also weighing on the price of Fonterra's shareholder fund.
全球最大乳制品出口商恒天然公司本周一称，继其生产的牛奶样品中发现潜在有毒物质后，公司已向全球消费者做出保证，新西兰奶制品可放心食用。
这家新西兰公司表示，经检测发现其部分产品中含有微量双氰胺。双氰胺用于制造化肥，防止化肥渗透进河流，造成河流大面积中毒。
据台湾、中国大陆和马来西亚的当地媒体报道，由于有关奶制品中检测出双氰胺的报道频频出现，促使这些地区于本周末对其进口奶制品进行检查。
恒天然在中国设有子公司，这一子公司曾卷入2008年三聚氰胺奶粉丑闻事件，当时造成至少六名儿童死亡。该公司在一份声明中称，它已向消费者保证奶制品中检测出的双氰胺含量不会对人体健康造成危害。
该公司行政总裁西奥•斯皮林斯随后在接受新西兰广播公司采访时说道：“消费者对我们的答复很满意，顾虑也由此减弱。”他将质疑新西兰牛奶安全性的相关报道定性为“纯属谣言与臆测”。
他表示，去年检测出的双氰胺含量“还不到欧洲标准的百分之一”。
生产这种产品的化肥公司已暂停产品销售。斯皮林斯称，自去年11月份以来，恒天然就一直同政府和化肥产业进行合作，寻求解决方案。
恒天然是新西兰规模最大的公司，年收入近200亿新西兰币（合168亿美元）。公司目前正寻求拓展亚洲市场，满足该地区与日俱增的奶制品需求。
新西兰超过90%的牛奶都出口国外，主要用于其他公司生产产品的原料，从婴幼儿配方奶粉到冷冻披萨中的奶酪无一不包。
该消息的报道导致上周末新西兰币轻微贬值，与此同时恒天然公司股东基金价格也被重新估值。