Whey Protein powder made by the New Zealand company Fonterra that were at the center of a global contamination scare this month did NOT contain a bacterium that could cause botulism and posed no food safety threat, New Zealand officials said on Wednesday.
Tests showed that whey protein concentrate manufactured by the world’s largest dairy processor contained Clostridium sporogenes, which cannot cause botulism but which at elevated levels can be associated with food spoiling.
Initial tests conducted by Fonterra and a New Zealand government research institute had indicated the presence of Clostridium botulinum, raising fears that infant formula and sports drinks made from the product and widely exported could be dangerous.
The botulism scare caused a recall of products made by multinational brands that may have contained the whey protein in markets like China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It also prompted bans in Russia and Sri Lanka.
“We went to world-leading labs, which are accredited and can test for this,” said Scott Gallacher, acting director-general of the Ministry for Primary Industries. “That has given us a clear and definitive sense that it isn’t Clostridium botulinum. There is no food safety risk here.”
Theo Spierings, the chief of Fonterra, said he was “very relieved” at the results of the ministry’s tests. He said Fonterra “did the right thing” in announcing the possible risk earlier this month.
“When you go through a global recall, you know it will affect your reputation,” he said. “If we had not acted on this, and if something had happened with one child in the world, then it would have caused a massive reputation issue in the long term, or even you could be wiped off the map and possibly face closure.”
Mr. Spierings said that Fonterra’s interim tests had indicated the possible presence of either Clostridium sporogenes or Clostridium botulinum and that the final stage of the company’s testing had shown a positive result for the botulinum strain.
Analysts said the all-clear could help Fonterra repair its reputation. “Obviously, it’s caused some damage, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Fonterra did raise the alert even if it wasn’t absolutely certain,” said Doug Steel, an economist at Bank of New Zealand.
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