Belarus lifts restrictions from Fonterra products

Belarus has lifted its ban on the imports of New Zealand’s Fonterra dairy products.

It was learnt from head of the department for hygiene, epidemiology and preventive measures of the Healthcare Ministry Yuri Fyodorov.

It has been made known today that Rospotrebnadzor (Russia's Federal Service for Control in the Sphere of Protection, Customers’ Rights and Well-Being of Humans) has lifted temporary restrictions on the import and sales of Fonterra dairy products in the Russian Federation.

Additional tests showed that the bacteria found in the whey protein concentrate (WPC80) of Fonterra products was not Clostridium botulinum. The organism has been confirmed as relatively harmless Clostridium sporogenes which do not produce botulinus toxin. “We are lifting restrictions too,” the representative of the Belarusian Healthcare Ministry said.

Fonterra is the world’s fourth biggest producer of dairy products, with the annual output of 2 million tonnes. The company sells its products to 100 countries. Its biggest clients are Australia, Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America.