Rosselkhoznadzor calls for suspending Fonterra dairy certification

The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision urges New Zealand’s Fonterra dairy giant to suspend its products’ certification. In the letter to head of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority Tony Zohrab on Monday, deputy director of the Russian Federal Service Nikolai Vlasov said: “Due to the fact that a botulism agent was found in Fonterra’s products, Rosselkhoznadzor urges the Fonterra giant to suspend the certification of dairy products for Russia and submit the results of the investigation to the service.” A total of 71 enterprises of the Fonterra giant have right to supply products to the Customs Union. These enterprises were included in the register of organizations and persons, who realize production, processing and conservation of goods. On August 3, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rospotrednadzor) has stopped supplies of New Zealand milk products, i.e. the New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko told Itar-Tass. “We instructed all regional branches to retire and ban all types of Fonterra dairy from trade outlets,” Onishchenko stressed. “By the end of the day we’ll give the instruction to customs services to prevent Fonterra products from crossing the border,” the chief sanitary inspector said. Onishchenko said the Russian service had not given any notification from the Fonterra giant that infected products had been revealed. He said no data had been given where infection was found. To this end, he recommended Russian consumers, primarily parents of babies, to rivet attention to any products, including baby food and any other Fonterra goods. Onishchenko also warned grown-ups and children against using these products. “This will be an effective measure until all products are withdrawn,” he stressed, adding, “This reminds us again that food security in our country is real. It can affect any of us, any house and any family at any moment.” Onishchenko said the development of domestic production of dairy and baby food was the major problem. Earlier, the Fonterra giant told several countries that its dairy could be infected with the bacteria, which could cause botulism - a toxic disease that affected the nerves. The company mentioned about 1,000 tonnes of products. China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to Quarantines instructed to withdraw Fonterra dairy from trade outlets. According to chairman of the board of Soyuzmoloko Andrei Danilenko, the Fonterra giant ranks 2nd Belarus for milk powder supplies to Russia. The Fonterra giant, which produces about 2 million tonnes of dairy, ranks fourth and exports its products to the markets of 100 countries, including Australia, as well as the countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.