China’s blanket ban on NZ milk powder imports 'appropriate'
Sunday 4 August, 2013
Corin Dann interviews
Tim Groser
Trade minister says
China’s blanket ban on NZ milk powder imports “entirely
appropriate”.
Trade minister Tim Groser
told TV One’s Q+A programme that the situation with
Fonterra was “very serious”.
China has
suspended imports of NZ milk powders after Fonterra revealed
three batches of whey product, which is used to make infant
formulas and sports drinks, have been found to contain the
toxic bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can cause
botulism.
“How serious it is depends obviously on
a) the extent of the problem and b) how long it lasts. The
authorities in China, in my opinion absolutely
appropriately, have stopped all imports of New Zealand milk
powders from Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Groser told
political editor Corin Dann.
“It’s entirely
appropriate they should have done that. So it’s better to
do blanket protection for your people and then wind it back
when we – our authorities – are in a position to give
them the confidence and advice that they need before doing
that. So we’re working extremely closely with the Chinese
and other authorities. The trade issues are not just about
China,” he added.
Mr Groser says he will head to
China “at the drop of a hat” if he receives advice that
political contact is useful. At the moment, he says he’s
focused on dealing with the immediate problem of the
wellbeing of users of the products.
“There are
some very important questions in our minds about the process
that led up to that, including that. But, look, that’s
tomorrow’s problem. Today our sole concern is on the
health of infants and other users of these products, both
our own and in the countries’ that we’re exporting to.
So it’s not that we don’t think there's some very
important questions, but we’re focusing on the essential
problem of today.
“We don’t want Fonterra
worrying about their long-term reputation or risks right
now. We want everybody focused on the health of the little
babies.”
Consumers worried about whether the
products they bought are safe can call PlunketLine on 0800
933 922 or Healthline on 0800 611 116.
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Q
+ A – 4 August, 2013
TIM
GROSER
Trade
Minister
Interviewed by Corin
Dann
CORIN
Minister, thank you very much for joining us. What’s the
latest information you can give consumers as of this
morning?
TIM
Well, I think the best thing consumers in New Zealand can do
is get objective health advice, and if you don’t mind,
Corin, I’m just going to give them the telephone numbers
of a couple of health lines that we’ve set up. Perhaps we
can repeat that at the end of the interview if they want to
go off and get some pen and
paper.
CORIN
Sure.
TIM
So, there are two. There’s PlunketLine – 0800 933 922.
And there's Healthline – 0800 611 116. And there's also a
website on the MPI – that’s Ministry of Primary
Industry, MPI. Put that in your Google and you’ll get
it.
CORIN
Do you think that – it’s such a long time ago, May –
that a number of people will have already consumed these
products?
TIM
Well, we are acting on advice that we received at midday or
slightly thereafter on Friday. There are some very important
questions in our minds about the process that led up to
that, including that. But, look, that’s tomorrow’s
problem. Today our sole concern is on the health of infants
and other users of these products, both our own and in the
countries’ that we’re exporting to. So it’s not that
we don’t think there's some very important questions, but
we’re focusing on the essential problem of
today.
CORIN
So that also means recalls. Where are we at with
recalls?
TIM
Well, the director general, under statutory powers, has the
authority to issue recalls if he and his advisers deem that
necessary. Right at this point, he has not advised us of
that, but that is a power that he has at his disposal.
Obviously our first preference is to work through other
channels, and that’s what's happening right now. So the
situation as I understand it – I mean, the Minister of
Food Safety is in Wellington coordinating this and also
acting as the link with other ministers including myself,
and we’re in constant contact on this issue – is that
there are three batches of contaminated whey protein
concentrate, which is used as an ingredient in a variety of
dairy products, including infant formula of certain types.
That was exported to Australia and then from Australia
exported to other countries, including New Zealand. So we
have, or our experts have, isolated the product. The
director general’s advice, which may change, is that they
have identified where that product is. It is not on the
market – that’s their advice to us. But of course they
are verifying independently
everything.
CORIN
We don’t know what products they are, though, do we? We
should
know.
TIM
We’ve been told the products are Nutracare beyond six
months. So after you wean the baby, it’s called a
follow-on.
CORIN
But there are other products, aren’t
there?
TIM
There was a health bodybuilding product, and in certain
other markets, not in New Zealand, my understanding is
there's some yoghurt as well. But all of this— There's a
very fluid situation. This may change and it’s up to our
advisers now to keep us constantly abreast as their own
information base
improves.
CORIN
This is the nightmare scenario for New Zealand, isn’t
it?
TIM
Well, it’s a very serious situation. How serious it is
depends obviously on a) the extent of the problem and b) how
long it lasts. The authorities in China, in my opinion
absolutely appropriately, have stopped all imports of New
Zealand milk powders from Australia and New
Zealand.
CORIN
Is that all milk powder across the
board?
TIM
That’s our understanding. And it’s entirely appropriate
they should have done that. So it’s better to do blanket
protection for your people and then wind it back when we –
our authorities – are in a position to give them the
confidence and advice that they need before doing that. So
we’re working extremely closely with the Chinese and other
authorities. The trade issues are not just about
China.
CORIN
Well, I can understand now why I bumped into a senior leader
in the farming industry last night on the way to Auckland
absolutely furious about this wanting heads to roll, and I
can see why
now.
TIM
Yes, well, that goes back to my comment about that’s a
very important question as to why this happened, where the
failure happened and who’s going to take responsibility.
But, look, there’s an old saying – when you’re finding
an alligator, bystanders saying “you should have drained
the swamp” is good advice, but right now we’re fighting
the alligator. Tomorrow we’ll look at the underlying
cause.
CORIN
The head of Fonterra has gone to China. Will the government
also? Because that relationship with China must be under
serious strain now, given the DCD issue and of course the
SanLu issue. This is the third. They must be getting pretty
concerned about our
reputation.
TIM
Well, the key thing is the technical-level exchanges are the
absolute centre of this particular issue. I will go to China
at the drop of a hat if I forge the view on the basis of
advice I’m getting from our people that political contact
is useful. Right now I’m not getting that advice. But
absolutely. I mean, I go to China all the time, and if I
sense there's any value to be added, I’ll be on a plane
tomorrow.
CORIN
Why weren’t you involved? Why wasn’t the government
informed earlier? May and it took all the way to July this
year to find
out.
TIM
Well, we’ve got statements from Fonterra on the record
that they only received advice that this very dangerous –
or a strain, yet to be determined how toxic – was on 31st
of July. But that question, Corin, is very much in our
minds. We will return there when we’ve sorted out the
immediate risk to babies, our own and in other
countries.
CORIN
Sure, but we have to get to the bottom of this quickly,
though, because we seem so vulnerable. A dirty pipe in one
factory can do this. It’s
extraordinary.
TIM
Yes, it
is.
CORIN
So what are we to do in the future to prevent
this?
TIM
That’s tomorrow’s question. Right now we’re told that
the plant— This was an end-of-production line, very rarely
used. All that equipment’s been taken away. Subsequent
tests from other plants indicate no issue. But, yes, it’s
a very important question, but we’re not— Look, we have
to focus all of our technical political resources. We
don’t want Fonterra worrying about their long-term
reputation or risks right now. We want everybody focused on
the health of the little
babies.
CORIN
But can you give a guarantee— I mean, you must be furious
with Fonterra. This is the second time this has happened
that they haven’t told you. Can you give an assurance that
you're going to come down hard on Fonterra over this?
TIM
I’m going to look at the facts
first.
CORIN
Tim Groser, Trade Minister, thank you very much for your
time on
Q+A.
ENDS