New Zealand Finds Another Contaminated Milk Product Destined for China

A second contaminated New Zealand milk product destined for China has been banned, just weeks after shipments of milk containing botulism bacteria were halted. New Zealand's agricultural regulator said Monday that it had cancelled export certificates for four consignments of lactoferrin, which provides antibacterial activity to human infants, after it was found to contain excessive levels of nitrate. The producer, Westland Milk Products, said none of the batches had reached Chinese consumers. New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra announced at the end of July that milk slated for export to China contained bacteria that causes botulism. China is particularly sensitive to food contamination after hundreds of babies were sickened in 2008 by milk that a Chinese company deliberately tainted with the chemical melamine.