October 13, 2014
Sri Lanka lifts temporary ban on Fonterra milk powder
Following tests revealing that its Anchor milk powder is safe for consumption, Fonterra announced that Sri Lankan health officials had lifted a temporary suspension on some of its products.
Sri Lanka''s Ministry of Health had earlier suspended the sale of three batches of 400g Anchor full cream milk powder in response to complaints that children from the southern village of Girandurukotte suffered food poisoning after drinking the milk.
Leon Clement,Brands'' managing director for Sri Lanka, said the company immediately launched a thorough investigation into the incident. They had also been working closely with the Ministry of Health to get into the bottom of the alleged food poisoning, he said.
The result of the ministry''s investigation, he added, has "confirmed our own internal findings that there is no food safety or quality issue with our product."
This was not the first time Fonterra''s products had some issues in the Sri Lankan market. In August 2013, a temporary injunction was imposed on the sale of its products due to concerns over the levels of nitrates found in milk powder.
A local right-wing group had also protested against Fonterra''s presence in Sri Lanka, claiming the company hindered the growth of the local dairy industry.