Infant formula under extra security

Fonterra's Kauri site. Photo / John Stone

Dairy giant Fonterra has assured Northland parents its baby milk formula produced in the region is safe after revelations police are investigating a threat to contaminate infant powder and other formula in protest over the use of 1080 poison in pest control.

Police would not say where the threat originated from but Federated Farmers confirmed it received the anonymous letter, addressed to chief executive Graham Smith, at its Wellington offices in late November. The letter, accompanied by an enclosed plastic bag containing a powder, was handed over to police.

It carried a threat to contaminate formula with 1080 unless New Zealand stopped using the poison for pest control by the end of March.

Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings said the threat was a "despicable act" and assured consumers its products were safe. He said safety standards at Fonterra's dairy factories, including its Kauri and Maungaturoto plants, have been strengthened after the threats. His main priority was to protect consumers and "robust" testing had not shown any sign of the chemical.

Fonterra's Kauri site produces about 116,000 tonnes of skim milk, whole milk and nutritional powders, speciality butters and anhydrous milk fats (AMF) each year. It's Maungaturoto site, one of the oldest in the country, produces 35,000 tonnes per year, made up of whole milk powder, skim milk powder, butter milk powder, whey and casein.

"The threat is unlikely to be carried out but we have strengthened our safety standards because of these threats. I'd like to assure that our products are safe," Mr Spierings said.

The latest threat followed Fonterra's 2013 false botulism scare that spooked Chinese consumers and took a heavy toll on New Zealand's infant formula industry.

Federated Farmers Northland president Roger Ludbrook said he and his members were not aware of the milk powder contamination scare until yesterday.

"Obviously some people are very upset at the use of 1080 but they haven't come up with a viable alternative."

He said it made no sense for someone to send the contaminated milk formula to Federated Farmers because 1080 was mostly used by the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Primary Industries to kill possums and to control tuberculosis.

Countdown has confirmed it has put additional security measures in place in its stores nationwide, from the time the product arrived in its distribution centres to when it was purchased by customers. Those measures include extra checks in-store before the product is placed on the shelf, infant formula to be moved from the main shelf to behind service counters or Lotto desks so the product is monitored and CCTV cameras on the product at all times in storage and when behind the counter.

Random sampling of the infant formula is also being undertaken. Police began investigating the threatin November but are now appealing for public help.

Mike Clement, police deputy commissioner of national operations, said although it was possible the threat was a hoax, it must be treated seriously.

He encouraged the person or group responsible for the threats to make themselves known.

"The letter writer may not have really considered the implications of their actions when this communication was drafted," Mr Clement said.

He said police treated the incident as a "crime of blackmail "rather than a terrorist act". No particular brand or company's formula was targeted.

Parents with any concerns could call Plunketline on 0800 933 922 or Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice.