Recently, the New Zealand government revealed the frightening news that last Nov both the dairy giant Fonterra and Federated Farmers received an anonymous letter threatening to poison milk formula with the rodenticide 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) if NZ does not stop using this pesticide by the end of Mar 2015. The letter was sent by an anonymous radical in protest against the widespread usage of 1080 in NZ. The Prime Minister of NZ John Key said there was “a low likelihood of the threat being carried out, but because the nature of it, both the police and ministries have taken the threat seriously”.
China’s Regulatory Reaction
The Chinese importation watchdog AQSIQ issued a quick response to this incident by bolstering regulatory supervision and testing requirements for milk of NZ origin. In detail, AQSIQ requires every batch of milk powder imported from NZ to have a NZ government issued document verifying it is sodium fluoroacetate free. Distributors have also been issued a mandate to inspect all milk formula of NZ origin prior to sale. AQSIQ will also sample and test every batch of milk formula from NZ and conduct spot checks on all milk powder.
Taiwan’s Reaction to NZ Poison Scare
All infant formula products for babies under 1 year old should be reviewed by the Ministry of Health & Welfare prior to market. Qualified companies will be issued with a special nutritional foods license, authorizing them to sell infant formula products. Baby formula products are now regulated as specially controlled foods and need to be tested batch by batch during import.
For the sake of babes’ health and safety, in addition to the significant negative implications for global infant formula trade it is hoped that this horrible act of ecoterrorism is nothing more than a scare tactic.
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