Fonterra denies allegations

Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka yesterday denied allegations against the company in the media based on comments made in Parliament on Wednesday.  

Following is the statement issued by Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka:

We are aware of misinformation that was recently shared in media reports, quoting Parliament proceedings. These claims are completely false, and we would like to reassure our consumers that all of our milk powder products are safe and contain only what is listed on the ingredients label. Our milk powder meets the highest international food safety and quality standards and are independently tested by both the New Zealand and Sri Lanka government. Our products do not contain any of the alleged adulterants, such as pork fat or palm oil. In Sri Lanka the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA), The Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), The National Institute of Health Science (NIHS) and the Sri Lanka Standard Institute (SLSI), each carry out independent tests on the milk powder that we import into the country. Therefore, our imports must follow Sri Lanka’s strict import clearance process before entering the country, which is enforced by these authorities. As a food company, safety and quality is our highest priority and we have been delivering high quality and safe dairy nutrition to Sri Lankan consumers for over 40 years. Each year milk powder from New Zealand undergoes over 6.6 million stringent quality tests across the supply chain and is certified by the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Primary Industries. We would also like to reiterate our commitment to Sri Lankan consumers and the wider dairy farming and business community. Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka is strongly committed to strict corporate governance policies and at all times operates ethically and within the laws of the country.