Infant formula poison threat exposed

POLICE are investigating a threat to contaminate infant and other formula in an apparent protest over the use of 1080 poison for pest control.

AUSTRALIA, Gippsland: Photo of Fonterra's Darnum Park site, taken on April 16, 2014 following the axing of twenty jobs. The company recently lost a contract with French food giant Danone after a botulism scare in 2013. (AAP Image/NEWZULU/TOM GRIFFITHS). NO ARCHIVING, CROWD SOURCED CONTENT, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

NEW Zealand police and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) are investigating a threat to contaminate infant and other formula in an apparent protest over the use of 1080 poison for pest control.

Police said, in a statement on Tuesday, that anonymous letters were received by Fonterra and Federated Farmers in November 2014, along with small packages of milk powder which have since tested positive for a concentrated 1080.

The letters threatened to contaminate infant and other formula with 1080 unless New Zealand stopped using 1080 for pest control by the end of March.

Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Clement said it was possible the threat was a hoax, but it needed to be treated seriously and an investigation was under way.

He’s asking the letter writer to come forward to the police. MPI says it’s confident infant and other formula are just as safe as before the threat was made.

“People should keep using it as they always have,” the deputy director-general Scott Gallacher said. “Regardless, we encourage people to be vigilant when buying infant and other formula. Our advice is always to check packaging for signs of tampering. We are reinforcing that advice as a result of this blackmail threat.”

He said the ability for anybody to deliberately contaminate infant and other formula during manufacturing was extremely low. “This criminal threat is designed to cause fear in order to generate a political outcome. It is using food as a vehicle but should not undermine confidence in our world-class food safety system or in any manufacturer.”

Dairy companies Fonterra and Synlait have stopped trading on the NZX following the announcement. Prime Minister John Key, Fonterra and Tatua are all expected to comment later on Tuesday.