NZFSA releases more melamine results

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has now released further test results of infant formula sold on the New Zealand market and has received initial results on four icecream products. As with the 72 results already published, none of the samples tested showed any contamination with melamine.

“Testing infant formula so we can provide a degree of assurance to New Zealand parents has been our top priority,” says Deputy Chief Executive Sandra Daly.

“We have identified and tested most infant formula sold on the New Zealand market and we are now moving into the next phase which involves testing products identified as originating in China that have a significant dairy component.”

According to New Zealand Customs records, none of the infant formula was imported from China and the sampling and testing programme was a precautionary move to ensure New Zealand infants, who are the most vulnerable group, were not at risk.

There is no indication that any other contaminated foods are available on the New Zealand market. However, as a precautionary measure NZFSA is continuing to look closely at supermarkets and a range of Asian and ethnic retailers and take samples of products to confirm they contain no melamine. These will be tested over the next few weeks.

NZFSA is also:

• reminding importers of their responsibility to have assurances from their suppliers that the products they sell are free of contamination

• identifying through New Zealand Customs’ tariff codes specific Chinese dairy products so they can be assessed on arrival in New Zealand and, if NZFSA has any concerns, sampled and tested

• developing a risk-based strategy for future monitoring of food imports

• adding melamine to the testing list for New Zealand’s dairy residue monitoring programme (the National Chemical Contaminants Programme) with a targeted round of all New Zealand dairy products to be carried out within the next few weeks.

All test results and NZFSA’s full response plan will be available on NZFSA’s website as they are received.