Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Farmers fear milk price fall

Amy Wiggins
By Amy Wiggins
Education reporter, NZ Herald.·Bay of Plenty Times·
4 Aug, 2013 08:14 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Western Bay dairy farmers say Fonterra's botulism contamination scare could have a major impact on the industry.

Fonterra, on Saturday, announced eight of its customers were potentially affected by the contamination of three batches of WPC80 whey protein, manufactured in May 2012, which were suspected of containing a bacteria that could cause botulism, a potentially fatal illness.

The whey protein is used to make a range of products, including infant formula and sports drinks.

Dairy farmer and Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty vice-president John Scrimgeour said it was too early to say what impact the scare could have on the industry.

"As far as I'm concerned it's still a waiting game at the moment until we see if the spread of these products has been contained.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If it has been contained, as we hope, I think it will be a bit of a blip."

If contaminated products had made it on to supermarket shelves - the problem Mr Scrimgeour feared - then it could make the market nervous.

That could lead to the value of milk products dropping, and come back on farmers in the form of lower milk prices.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's nervous times," said Mr Scrimgeour.

"It has the potential to [impact the wider economy]. It's just a matter of how nervous the customers are really."

After the melamine scare in 2008 the Chinese market turned sharply in favour of New Zealand milk products for their quality and safety aspects that were now in question, he said.

"A situation like this does have the potential to dent the reputation quite severely."

Infant formula manufacturer Nutricia has recalled Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 (0-6 months) with batch numbers 3169 and 3170 (use by 17.06.2016 and 18.06.2016) and Karicare Gold+ Follow On Formula Stage 2 (6-12 months) with batch number D3183 (use by 31.12.2014).

The company said none of its products tested and sold in New Zealand indicated any contamination.

But, given new information by Fonterra, it made the decision to undertake a precautionary recall on specific products.

Tauranga father Josh Norton said: "Even if it's not on the shelves in New Zealand it's still pretty shocking that it was produced at all and that the quality control systems are not good enough to catch it."

Authorities recalled up to 1000 tonnes of dairy products across New Zealand and seven other countries after Fonterra announced tests had found the bacterium.

A dirty pipe at Fonterra's Hautapu plant has been blamed for the contamination.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM
Bay of Plenty TimesUpdated

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

07 Jul 10:52 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

07 Jul 08:39 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

'Risk to the public': Police search for wanted man

07 Jul 11:57 PM

Huirua has connections to the Bay of Plenty region.

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

Boat in perilous position in Tauranga Harbour

07 Jul 10:52 PM
'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

'Unique challenges': Fresh ideas sought for Mount Maunganui parking woes

07 Jul 08:39 PM
Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

Sea pods revitalise Tauranga waterfront with marine habitats

07 Jul 08:19 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP