Fonterra milk uproar across the country

The Dhaka Times Desk New Zealand's Fonterra milk, a powdered milk producer, has started a stir across the country. Harmful bacteria were detected in the company's milk recently.

As major powdered milk marketing companies in Bangladesh import milk from Fonterra, questions have been raised about the safety of powdered milk sold in the country's market. The Ministry of Commerce has already ordered testing of the last 600 tonnes of milk imported from Fonterra.

Daily Samakal, citing Chittagong port customs sources, said in a report that according to their calculations, 20,741 tons of milk from Fonterra came to Bangladesh in 2012-13 fiscal year. The worst thing is that 80 percent of all shipments of milk imported to Bangladesh are Fonterra's milk! These milk are packaged by the importers under different names and sold in the market. It has been found that about 20 thousand tons of milk imported from Fonterra is currently in the market in packages. Besides, earlier imported milk is being sold in the market.

On the other hand, Kamal Prasad Das, director of BSTI, said that the customs authorities have already informed them about Fonterra's milk. Samples will be collected today and sent for testing. Regarding powdered milk available in the market, he said, there is no opportunity to market the products listed by BSTI without testing. Existing products are tested and released in the market. Major (Retd.) Anisur Rahman, the responsible officer of Pran Dairy, one of the top importers of Fonterra's milk, said that Pran has not imported any milk from Fonterra since last December. Most of the cow's milk available in the market is domestically produced.

It is known that after tests confirmed the presence of toxic bacteria harmful to the human body in Fonterra milk powder last May, the Chinese government banned Fonterra milk powder in their country and removed it from the market. After that Fonterra's milk import was also banned from the markets of Russia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. Last May, Fonterra apologized after an unintended error at its milk production plant contaminated the product with bacteria. Outraged by this incident, the director of New Zealand Milk Products Company, which markets Fonterra's milk in New Zealand, Gary Romano resigned from his position. However, BBC Online reported, a day ago, a notice from the Ministry of Primary Industry of New Zealand said that the bacteria found in Fonterra's milk powder is not botulism. It is another type of bacteria. Earlier, another New Zealand powdered milk producer, Westland Milk Products, also stopped importing milk from China due to the presence of toxic nitrates in its milk. Fonterra Company's Group Director of Communications Kerry Underhill told Reuters news agency that they have also learned about harmful bacteria in their products before. They apologize for this. All information to ensure product quality and safety has been sent to all importing countries. They can take action according to their laws.

Note that five companies in Bangladesh import powdered milk of Fonterra company. These are Huwath Abul Khair Group, Pran Dairy, Nestle Bangladesh, Sanowara Corporation and New Zealand Dairy. The shipment of 600 tons of milk powder stuck at the port belongs to these companies. They are also importers of Fonterra milk powder that came to the country in the last financial year. In the last fiscal year (2012-13), Abul Khair Group imported nine thousand 168 tons of powdered milk from New Zealand's Fonterra Group worth four million 73 million dollars. Nestlé Bangladesh Limited imported five thousand 900 tons of milk worth two million 11 million dollars. New Zealand Dairy imported about five thousand and 41 tons worth two million dollars, Pran Dairy imported 532 tons worth $1,500 and Sanwara Corporation imported 100 tons of milk powder worth $362,000. References: Daily Times