Managing Director of Fonterra Brands Lanka Leon Clement said all New Zealand dairy products are 100 per cent safe and at the same time welcomed the Sri Lankan Government’s decision to re-test their samples of imported milk powder.
“While DCD has never been a food safety issue, there has been a lot of speculation and misinformation about milk powder products in Sri Lanka.
“The Government has indicated that the tests they carried out on imported milk powder in April were inconclusive.
“Independent and internationally accredited testing laboratories – the Cawthron Institute and AsureQuality – have carried out hundreds of tests on New Zealand milk powder, produced since September 2012 and all of these tests have found that New Zealand dairy products are 100 per cent safe.
“The very low levels of DCD detected in a small number of milk powder samples in New Zealand last year were 100 times lower than tolerable daily intake guideline limits established by the European Commission.
“At these levels, United Nations data suggests that the table salt sitting in your kitchen is more of a risk to humans than DCD.
“Regulators around the world have agreed New Zealand dairy products are 100 per cent safe.”
DCD is no longer being used on New Zealand dairy farms.
“While there was never a food safety risk, the New Zealand Government and industry have taken steps to ensure DCD is no longer used on dairy farms in New Zealand.”
Mr Clement concluded that Fonterra has one of the highest standard food supply chains in the world.