Farmers are outraged at threats to lace baby infant formula with 1080 poison and want the perpetrators brought to justice, says Federated Farmers President Dr William Rolleston.

'Farmers are as outraged as the rest of New Zealand that someone would have the audacity to threaten to put babies and the economy at risk,” he told a press conference in Wellington today.

The threat to contaminate infant formula with 1080 poison was revealed on Tuesday. Photo: New Zealand Government Food Protection.

'The whole of New Zealand needs to take part in helping to find the perpetrators of these threats, idle as they may be.”

In November last year Federated Farmers chief executive Graham Smith received a package containing infant formula and 1080 with a threat to contaminate New Zealand infant formula if the use of 1080 was not banned by March this year.

'As a parent I was outraged that anyone would target children,” Graham says.

The letter was opened by his assistant and handed to police. Government officials and Fonterra were also contacted after it was revealed that Fonterra has received a similar parcel.

William says as the letter contained the threat to contaminate formula in March, the decision to withhold information was the right one.

It was not about misleading the public or markets. To have released the information earlier could have caused panic. Not to release it at all would have been contrary to New Zealand's reputation for openness and transparency, he says.

Shortly after receiving the threat, Federated Farmers representatives visited Fonterra plants where security had been increased further to 'the proverbial Fort Knox”.

'Federated Farmers also gave police names of people involved in the 1080 debate and it was up to the police to follow those up,” adds William.

In line with that from Ministry for Primary Industries and Fonterra, William is advising parents to check tins of milk formula for any signs of tampering.

William says farmers have also been advised to check on-farm security, to be vigilant and tell police of anything they think looks suspicious.

It is likely there will be reaction from international markets which import New Zealand infant milk formula but William believes confidence will be restored in the safety of this country's products.