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'Kiwi panics,' 'Eco-terrorism’ threat' -1080 saga hits international headlines

CNN didn't hold back, declaring “'Eco-terrorism' threat to poison infant formula in New Zealand” in a headline on its website.

Jason Walls
Wed, 11 Mar 2015

Word of yesterday’s 1080 scare has found its way to newsrooms across the world, as heavy hitters such as BBC and CNN report the story.

The BBC published the story on its homepage and quoted both Prime Minister John Key and Police national operations deputy commissioner of  Mike Clement.

On the site’s business news, the story featured in a wrapup of China’s inflation data.

It outlined that the New Zealand dollar had dropped against the greenback after the threats were revealed, and Fonterra’s trading had been placed on hold.

CNN didn’t hold back, declaring “'Eco-terrorism' threat to poison infant formula in New Zealand” in a headline on its website.

“There are questions about how this might impact New Zealand’s multibillion dollar industry,” reporter David Molko said in a report which feature footage from TVNZ.   

The 2013 botulism incident was mentioned, followed by the Infant Formula Exporters Association’s Michael Barnett warning how damaging this could be for New Zealand’s exports.

The story was picked up by various financial news publications, many of which referenced the decline of the Kiwi dollar against the greenback.

UK-based financial market analysis and forecasting publication The Market Oracle used the phrase “Kiwi panics” in a headline, then again referencing the drop in the kiwi dollar.

The New York Times ran a story by both Reuters and Associated Press, outlining the potential threat to New Zealand’s economy and likened it to the botulism scare of 2013.

Market pulse, the Sydney Morning Herald and even a publication based in South Carolina reported the story.  

It has not yet, however, managed to stir too much panic in Chinese media.

The state media agency Xinhua ran a few stories and Shanghai Daily ran a sizeable story outlining the facts.

Business Desk has reported there has been little reaction to the story on Chines social media site Weibo (China’s version of Facebook). 

Jwalls@nbr.co.nz

Jason Walls
Wed, 11 Mar 2015
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'Kiwi panics,' 'Eco-terrorism’ threat' -1080 saga hits international headlines
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