Beijing (AsiaNews) - The government of New Zealand has dispatched a team of investigators to dairy giant Fonterra to check its products and issue a worldwide recall.
"It's certainly pretty frustrating, that's probably the most generous term I could use," Economic Development Minister Stephen Joyce said about the botulism bacteria tainted milk products case. "I'd have expected this information to have been available fairly quickly."
"Frankly, Fonterra has welcomed it because it will speed up the MPI checking," he said. The MPI is the Ministry of Primary Industry.
Mr Joyce added that an impartial investigation would restore consumer confidence in New Zealand showing its honesty and that what they want is the best not only for themselves but also for consumers.
Fonterra is the world's largest dairy co-operative and New Zealand's biggest company, accounting for 89 per cent of the country's milk production - 15.4 billion litres - in 2011 and recording turnover of almost US$ 16 billion last year.
Fonterra products are very common throughout Asia, especially in China, which imports 80 per cent of its milk powder from New Zealand.
Tainted products were apparently shipped to China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Russia and Vietnam, where local authorities banned sales.
In any case, the scandal does not seem to have bothered Chinese consumers too much since they continue to prefer foreign over domestic brands.
Although state media have tried to boost trust domestic milk producers, buyers have turned instead to European products until those made in New Zealand are available again.
On the other hand, food scandals in China have had a major impact on Chinese society, starting with the melamine-tainted milk case that left six children dead and more than 300,000 sick with kidney stones.
"Chinese propaganda is belittling foreign milk powder in order to boost domestic brands. But who will trust those deceptive domestic producers?" said one Chinese netizen, Miss Feng Mum.
"Foreign milk products get contaminated due to negligence, which is equivalent to 'manslaughter'. Domestic producers intentionally add melamine to milk powder, which is 'intentional murder'," said another.
"At least New Zealand admitted the mistake and recalled the products. In China, those who spoke and speak out on food scandals end up in jail," wrote someone else.