The Chinese Government will be lifting the temporary suspension of exports of Fonterra base powder for infant formula (containing whey) and Fonterra whey powder.
The Fonterra Co-operative Group was advised of the suspension lift today by the Ministry of Primary Industries.
The suspension had been in place since August 2013 when the New Zealand dairy giant issued a contamination warning for an ingredient used in its baby formula products and sports drinks.
The ingredient – a whey protein concentrate – was feared to have contained a bacterium that can cause botulism.
A month after the initial warning was released, Fonterra announced that the ingredient had been wrongly identified as potentially causing the potentially fatal paralytic illness.
The alarm led to a widespread recall around the globe with several countries halting supply of the company’s products, including China.
Gary Romano, managing director of Fonterra at the time, resigned from his position a few weeks after the botulism scare was announced.