Fonterra, the world’s biggest dairy exporter announced that 30 tons of whey protein concentrate have been contaminated with a bacterium that can cause botulism. The concentrate which was used in products including infant milk powder and sports drinks had been exported to China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. China has since placed restrictions upon New Zealand imports of whey products, however Theo Spierings, Fonterra’s chief executive, expects these measures to be lifted once a detailed explanation of the incident is furnished to Chinese regulators. As soon as the contamination was detected the affected plant was closed for cleaning.
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