NZ government mulling final report on Fonterra botulism scare

A New Zealand government inquiry has made its final report into how potentially contaminated dairy products were exported abroad in last year's botulism false alarm and global product recall, ministers confirmed Friday.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew said in a statement that they would consider the report into the Fonterra whey protein concentrate contamination incident in August last year and its recommendations, before releasing it and the government's response "within the next few weeks."

An earlier inquiry report that looked at regulatory and best practice requirements for food safety against the background of this incident was released in December last year with the government accepting all 29 recommendations in principle.

The inquiry could only begin after the Ministry for Primary Industries had completed a compliance investigation into dairy giant Fonterra, and the company had been sentenced on food safety charges in court and the appeal period had expired.

Since the last report, the government has established the Food Safety Science and Research Center, the Food Safety Assurance Advisory Council, a traceability working group and passed the Food Act to better regulate the industry.

Fonterra pleaded guilty in a New Zealand court in April to four food safety-related charges connected to global recall of whey protein concentrate over the false botulism scare, which happened in August last year.

Fonterra is also fighting a civil case brought by French food giant Danone, which is claiming compensation of 350 million euros (435.93 million U.S. dollars) for the scare.