Dairy giant Fonterra has rubbished claims it is linked to startling revelations that infant formula is causing baby girls to grow breasts in China.Yesterday China's Xinhua news agency reported the Chinese Heath Ministry instructed authorities in Hubei pro
Dairy giant Fonterra has rubbished claims it is linked to startling revelations that infant formula is causing baby girls to grow breasts in China.
Yesterday China’s Xinhua news agency reported the Chinese Heath Ministry instructed authorities in Hubei province to investigate the claims.
Ministry spokesperson Deng Haihua was reported as saying that food safety authorities were testing samples of milk powder made by Syrutra, a company based in Shandong Province.
Late last year the company announced it was using New Zealand raw milk powder following the September, 2008, discovery of melamine in products made by 22 Chinese formula manufacturers, including some of its own.
The use of growth hormones in animals is tightly controlled in New Zealand and Fonterra spokesman Graeme McMillan said he understood they had never been detected in New Zealand dairy cows.
Fonterra has confirmed it supplies milk powder to Synutra, but pointed out it also sourced milk locally and imported whey powder from Europe.
"In New Zealand there are strict legislative controls on the use of hormonal growth promotants - that are not allowed to be used on milking cows. The strict controls mean that it is not necessary for New Zealand milk or milk products to be routinely tested."
The hormones can be used only for beef and pork production.
"Fonterra remains 100% confident about the quality of its products."
