The Government plans to force a largely forgotten five-year-old bill through Parliament in three weeks to allow a short, sharp "Government inquiry" into the Fonterra botulism scare.

New Zealand's 100 per cent Pure image is suddenly being questioned by its loyal Chinese customers, writes Hua Dong.

Damage to the brand not yet known, boss says, as rivals report boosted sales on back of infant formula recall.

Ralph Norris is to lead Fonterra Cooperative Group's board inquiry into the botulism contamination scare.

The Cabinet will today discuss establishing a commission of inquiry into the Fonterra food safety crisis, but it may be a week away from finalising details.

If you've had a bad week at work, I hope you're having a relaxing and wonderful weekend. And no matter how bad your week was, it surely can't have been as bad as the week the Fonterra management and board have had.

Quite rightly, the main news over Fonterra's infected products has been the physical threat to the customer, writes Matt McCarten. Or more importantly, the children of its customers.

Questions remain over the status of potentially contaminated Karicare infant formula sold through unofficial channels in China, despite Fonterra's assertions that all products affected by its botulism scare have been contained.

The Government has repeated its vow to hold an investigation into Fonterra after a "frank and thorough" meeting with executives at the Beehive.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says the Government is yet to decide whether there will be a separate inquiry into Fonterra on top of one planned .

Fonterra chairman John Wilson said yesterday he was "deeply concerned" by the infant formula contamination scare.

Helplines are still being flooded with queries from thousands of concerned parents following Fonterra's infant milk contamination scandal.

Kiwi baby formula companies are having orders cancelled in China and contract negotiations with Chinese customers terminated.

Public relations sharks are circling Fonterra and what is believed to be New Zealand's biggest image handling contract.

Roughly 70 per cent of NZ exports come from primary industries, writes Toby Manhire. Fonterra alone is about 10 per cent of the economy. When the sector sneezes, the country catches cold.

"Was the Fonterra milk scandal caused by New Zealand being 'hostage to a blinkered devotion to laissez-faire market ideology'?" asks Bryce Edwards.

As Fonterra's boss said sorry to NZ over the formula scare, it emerged four batches of potentially contaminated formula reached Hong Kong and Australia.

Fonterra's infant formula scare appeared to have little impact on dairy prices.

Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings reckons Fonterra's reputation will be fully restored in the Chinese market.

It was in a rather grand display of statesmanship that Labour leader David Shearer stood in Parliament on Tuesday to talk about the Fonterra whey powder contamination

More than 80,000 cans of suspect infant formula have been recalled in Hong Kong and a hotline set up by the city's authorities has been fielding hundreds of calls.

Fonterra head Theo Spierings - just back from China - delivers an apology to NZ over the formula scare, but dodges questions about his own performance.

Fonterra's chief apologised to consumers and the New Zealand public at a press conference today, saying all contaminated stock had been contained.

Fonterra said it had been fined $900,000 following the conclusion of a review by Chinese authorities into the pricing of dairy products in the people's republic.