NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

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 / New Zealand

Formula tins tested amid 1080 tampering fears

Teuila Fuatai
By Teuila Fuatai
NZME.·
18 Mar, 2015 07:58 PM6 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

Signs of suspected tampering on a formula tin posted on a Facebook page for mothers. Photo / supplied

Signs of suspected tampering on a formula tin posted on a Facebook page for mothers. Photo / supplied

Tins of infant formula showing signs of tampering have been secured by police and forensically tested as part of the investigation into a 1080 blackmail threat.

Police Assistant Commissioner Malcolm Burgess announced last night that staff yesterday received several calls from members of the public concerned about tins which showed signs of tampering, such as possible pinpricks in packaging lids.

Read also:
• Editorial: 1080 warning a double-edged sword
• 1080 poison: Government introduces tighter regulations
• Infant formula threat: Few could get hold of 1080 poison used - expert

Jamie Fitchett, of Christchurch, posted on Facebook that his partner had discovered small holes in the lid of formula bought for her infant daughter Cassidy.

"Me and my partner bought a formula for Cassidy and ... police have taken it to test it.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Spread the word guys, mums and dads need to know. Make sure you're all checking lids before opening or even buying formula," Mr Fitchett wrote.

Since news of the 1080 threat broke, supermarkets have ramped up security -- with some keeping the tins behind counters and others positioning CCTV cameras for surveillance on shelves.

The threat stemmed from anonymous letters sent to Fonterra and Federated Farmers in November saying infant formula products would be laced with 1080 pesticide at the end of March unless the Government ceased using the poison.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"A number of tins of product have been collected and secured by police and all information relating to the incidents has been provided to the Operation Concord team and is in the process of being assessed," said Mr Burgess. "Tins of formula are being forensically tested."

Foodstuffs, which owns Pak'nSave and New World, said it knew of one customer who had been concerned about tampering.

"We are aware a customer had a concern that a tin of infant formula may have been tampered with and has handed it to police," Foodstuffs NZ managing director Steve Anderson said.

Speaking to Radio New Zealand this morning, Mr Fitchett said his partner had noticed holes in the top and bottom of a tin of formula they had purchased.

Discover more

Companies

Formula 1080 threat sends dollar down

10 Mar 04:00 PM
Economy

1080: Letters 'irresponsible', 'stupid'

10 Mar 04:00 PM
Banking and finance

Why didn't NZX companies disclose 1080 threat?

11 Mar 01:00 AM
Opinion

Editorial: 1080 warning a double-edged sword

11 Mar 04:00 PM

"My partner opened it and noticed holes in the tinfoil in the top, and as you would, she panicked a bit, and didn't want to feed it to our child, so she just contacted the Government helplines and they sent the police around."

There were around six to ten holes around the edge of the tin, Mr Fitchett said.

"When you take off the plastic lid there is a foil seal there, it was just through that.

"The formula didn't look different itself, we didn't really inspect it though, we sort of left it to the police."

Mr Fitchett said despite this, it had not put him or his partner off using formula.

"We're still using it we are just a lot more vigilant - especially when we buy it, we'll be checking it before we even buy it from the shop.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We don't want people to freak out and stop using it, we just want people to be aware that this isn't just threats, it's actually quite real so they need to be checking it properly."

Mr Fitchett said he was "unsure" as to whether there was any connection between threats made in November and his 'tampered' tin of baby formula.

"But we're not prepared to take that risk, as any parent would, I'm sure no parent would feed their kid formula that looks like it had been tampered with."

He said it could be a "copycat".

"That would be quite disturbing if someone would go and do something like that, especially when everyone's on edge."

Chair of the Infant Formula Exporters Association Michael Barnett said "copycat" behaviour was always going to be of concern after the police went public with information of the threats.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This was always the problem when you go public. One of the things we said earlier on in the whole process was that if you do go public there is an opportunity that copycats are going to come through and try and take advantage of the situation.

"I think the police have clearly said there is no risk - but I think that the point to go public on something like this is it needs to be followed up with excellent communication.:

Mr Barnett said he did not believe there was enough "communication" at the moment.

"I think good information actually stops people siting back and wondering, and asking questions. I think a good line of communication right now would be helpful."

Police assistant commissioner Malcolm Burgess told Radio New Zealand this morning that suggestions tins had been tampered with were "premature".

He said any defects to tins were more likely caused by damage from careless handling.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, he said police would be "foolish" not to follow up and check to ensure this assessment was sound.

"There's no evidence at all they have been tampered with - it's actually damage to the product by careless handling.

"We are confident this is the case but are going to do the sensible thing and take the necessary precaution and have these things tested."

Mr Burgess said in the case of Mr Fitchett and his partner, they was no confirmation that the tin had been damaged by pin pricks.

"The indications are that this may be a fault in terms of manufacturing process, we are assessing that and having that evaluated.

"I think to say these are pin pricks in the lid with the suggestion that somehow somebody has injected something or put something through the lid is a bit premature and a bit alarmist."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Burgess said there was a "robust process" in place for testing tins.

"We have a pretty robust process in place where when these things are brought to our notice police take custody of them.

"We do an immediate triage to see whether there's some urgent immediate action required - if there is then that's followed up.

"If there is indications another container got dropped on top of it and side split then perhaps it might go into a less urgent process."

Information hotlines
If you have any questions about what to feed your baby, call Plunketline 0800 933 922 or Healthline 0800 611 116

For more information go to foodprotection.govt.nz

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
BusinessUpdated

Will strong GDP growth put the OCR on hold?

18 Jun 07:50 PM
Herald NOW

Herald NOW: 2degrees business with Garth Bray

Media Insider

TVNZ boss on the future of the 6pm news, Shortland St - and a move into pay TV

18 Jun 06:05 PM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Will strong GDP growth put the OCR on hold?

Will strong GDP growth put the OCR on hold?

18 Jun 07:50 PM

Economists expect the recovery continued during the first quarter of the year.

Herald NOW: 2degrees business with Garth Bray

Herald NOW: 2degrees business with Garth Bray

TVNZ boss on the future of the 6pm news, Shortland St - and a move into pay TV

TVNZ boss on the future of the 6pm news, Shortland St - and a move into pay TV

18 Jun 06:05 PM
How cancer taught Icehouse CEO what's important when building a business

How cancer taught Icehouse CEO what's important when building a business

18 Jun 06:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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