The Ministry for Primary Industries is today further expanding its precautionary advice about Nutricia infant formula products.

Acting Director-General Scott Gallacher says the Ministry now recommends parents and caregivers avoid feeding two products from the Karicare range to their infants until freedom from contamination with the botulism causing bacteria is confirmed.

MPI is recalling Nutricia Karicare Infant Formula Follow-up formula.

MPI now advises that it cannot rule out the following Nutricia Karicare products as potentially contaminated and recommends they are not fed to children until further notice.

• Nutricia Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 for babies from birth
• Nutricia Karicare Stage 2 Follow-on formula for children from six months old

"MPI has not been able to fully trace through Nutricia's supply chain, which specific batches of its products may contain contaminated whey protein, and which don't, and whether affected batches are in New Zealand stores.

"It may be over the coming days, the company can provide this information which would allow me to be assured of the safety of these products,” says Scott.

MPI now recommends parents and caregivers use alternative products until further notice.

"Until we get more certainty around those Karicare products outlined above, I am asking parents not to use them and use an alternative product in the meantime," says Scott.

"MPI is working closely with industry and the Ministry of Health to ensure there are sufficient alternative infant formula products on the market, and we will be closely monitoring supply until this matter is resolved."

Fonterra revealed on Friday some of its whey products produced at its Hautapu plant in the Waikato are at risk of being contaminated with botulism causing bacteria, due to a pipe that had not been sterilised.

Currently, there is no information to suggest any other infant formula products on the market in New Zealand are affected, says MPI.

MPI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working with regulatory authorities in the relevant international markets to provide them with new information in relation to this development as soon as possible.

Fonterra announced on Sunday that its animal feed subsidiary, NZAgbiz, which is one of the eight customers that received affected whey protein concentrate (WPC80), has announced an immediate product recall of a small amount of calf milk replacer sold in the North Island.

'This afternoon NZAgbiz confirmed that a very small amount of calf milk replacer containing the affected WPC80 has been sold to customers in the North Island and, for this reason, it has initiated a product recall,” says Fonterra's Managing Director of NZ Milk Products, Gary Romano.

NZAgbiz does not produce any products for human consumption.

'Although the health risk posed by the affected calf milk replacer is very small, NZAgbiz is right not to compromise on safety standards, and to advise customers who may have the affected product to return it to the place of purchase,” says Fonterra Veterinarian, Lindsay Burton.

Products being recalled:

• Nutricia Karicare Infant Formula Stage 1 for babies from birth
• Nutricia Karicare Stage 2 Follow-on formula for children from six months old
• NZAgbiz - small amount of calf milk replacer containing the affected WPC80.
  

Products deemed safe:

• UHT, yoghurt and soft drinks produced by beverage companies Wahaha, Coca-Cola and Vitaco, which use whey protein concentrate.

If you have any health concerns, please call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or Plunketline on 0800 933 922 for advice.
If you have questions about a product, please call MPI's consumer helpline on 0800 693 721.