Fonterra faces charges over WPC contamination scare

Fonterra, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fonterra Co-operative, has been charged by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) over last year’s whey protein concentrate (WPC80) botulism scare.

The ministry filed four charges in Wellington District Court yesterday, following an investigation into the food safety incident.

The charges filed against the company are: processing dairy product not in accordance with its risk management programme; exporting dairy product that failed to meet relevant animal product standards; failing to notify its verifier of significant concerns that dairy product had not been processed in accordance with its risk management programme; and failing to notify the director general as soon as possible that exported dairy product was not fit for intended purpose.

The charges come at a time when Fonterra is facing legal claims from French firm Danone for the losses it suffered following the scare, as it uses the WPC in its infant formula products.

Fonterra people, culture and strategy managing director Maury Leyland said, "We have accepted all four charges, which are consistent with the findings of our Operational Review, and the Independent Board Inquiry."

Leyland added, "We are making good progress on implementing the necessary improvements the Operational Review and Independent Board Inquiry identified.

"We are also working with the government to progress all the recommendations of its review of New Zealand’s dairy food safety regulatory framework, undertaken last year."

Last year, Fonterra’s whey protein and infant formulae were withdrawn in seven countries over possible clostridium botulinum contamination; however, investigations revealed the presence of clostridium sporogenes in the products, which does not cause botulism.