主题：新消息，新西兰出口的乳铁蛋白中含有三聚氰胺.曾出口中国 -- 扬州小羊

NZ exported melamine contamination in dairy protein

Fri, 26 Sep 2008

One of New Zealand’s most expensive dairy exports, lactoferrin, which sells for about $500,000 a tonne, has been contaminated with melamine.

But food safety officials say they don’t know how the contaminationoccurred and are now looking at whether the melamine was in the rawmilk.

The officials declined tosay which manufacturer sent the contaminated lactoferrin to China,where the melamine was detected by in-market testing in the wake of thesale of poisoned milk as infant formula.

Only three New Zealand dairy companies produce lactoferrin - a milkprotein used in sports drinks, infant formulas and capsules sold asdietary supplements to boost people’s immune systems - and Fonterra andWestland have both told NZPA their products were not involved.

The remaining company, Tatua, based at Tatuanui near Morrinsville, isthe world’s biggest manufacturer of lactoferrin, and processes up to14,000 tonnes of raw milk to extract just one tonne of the protein.

Tatua chairman Steve Allen referred media queries to the company’s’chief executive, Paul McGilvary, but told NZPA he had been busy workingwith the New Zealand Food Safety Authority until tonight.

"This whole thing, internationally, is pretty major," said Mr Allen.Overseas perceptions of the New Zealand food industry were crucial andit was important to get all the facts right.

NZFSA director of compliance and investigation Geoff Allen told NZPA hebelieved the contaminated lactoferrin might have come from more thanone company.

"We’re still waitingfor official results from all of the manufacturers of lactoferrin, so Ican’t say which one is in and which one is out."

Yesterday Mr Allen said the authority was considering any role whichmight have been played in the contamination by cyromazine, aninsecticide which breaks down to melamine in mammals.

NZFSA has 24 livestock drenches and sprays containing cyromazine listedamong registered agricultural compounds on its website.

"The possible contribution of breakdown products from cyromazine isbeing included in the investigations that are underway.’

Dr Allen had earlier confirmed that NZ lactoferrin sent to China hadbeen contaminated with melamine. "

Dr Allen早些时候确认，由新西兰往出口的乳铁蛋白中同样被三聚氰胺污染。

Explanations for its presence in thiscase include leaching from plastic involved in processing or packaging,or other unintended outcome of the manufacturing process."

"We can’t say definitively where it’s come from," he said.

The authority was following a lot of leads, and had so far ruled outdeliberate adulteration, and had "practically eliminated" contamination caused by the manufacturing process, which is common to all three exporters.

"We can see no mechanism where melamine can be introduced or produced during the process," he said.

"Now, we’re looking back and saying `how can it come in or be introduced in the raw material’," he said.

Dr Allen said the contamination was at low levels which did not present any health risk for consumers.

Dr Allen说污染程度很低，不会对消费者的健康产生危害。

He questioned whether the melamine would be detectable once it wasdiluted when used as an ingredient in a finished product.

In June, NZFSA published a list of contaminant levels it will allow inanimal products, and specified a maximum permissible level ofcyromazine and melamine as 0.3mg/kg in sheepmeats, and 0.15mg/kg inpoultry and eggs.