More infant formula export problems arise

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The Government is working to determine the impact of new Chinese regulations on infant formula already on its way to China that might be stopped at the border.
Last week manufacturers representing 90 per cent of New Zealand’s infant formula exports by volume to China were approved under new rules, but some smaller operators missed the initial cut.
Those companies understood they had until May 1 to continue exporting infant formula, but it appears the Chinese have already stopped imports from all but the registered companies.
Westland Milk Products has been given the infant formula nod by the Chinese, as has Fonterra, Nutricia (owned by French food giant Danone), Dairy Goat Co-operative NZ and GMP Dairy.
They were approved in the first round of Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China registrations, published last week.
Mid Canterbury-based Synlait Milk and New Image, based in Auckland, were among the companies that did not make it on to the list.
Today a spokesman for Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said companies that had not been given the nod by the Chinese could well face export problems.
«The change affects non-registered manufacturers, so the 90 per cent we talked about last week they’re all fine,» he said.
«What we’re talking about here is the remaining 10 per cent.
«It now seems some of their product produced before May 1 will not be accepted.»
This could include exports in transit, though the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) did not have a number for exports affected, he said.
Guy added he did not think it was a huge amount of product. «We’re talking just in the last couple of weeks and … we’ve got 90 per cent of those manufacturers already approved on May 1,» he said.
New Zealand was working with the Chinese to find a solution for product that could be on its way to China.
Synlait Milk chief executive managing director John Penno, in a radio interview yesterday, said the company had export product «on the water» going to China but he was not prepared to disclose how many tonnes were involved.
Both the Chinese regulators and MPI were working constructively on the issue, he said.
«What China is doing, they are putting in place a new set of regulations in which they are calling on their own industry and the global industry exporting to China to raise the quality standards to protect their consumers,» Penno said.
«We’re completely comfortable with that, and very much in line with the standards.»
The Dunsandel-based company was in the process of becoming registered, and Penno said it was continuing to work closely with MPI and Chinese.
«We’re confident that will happen, we understand the things that need to be put in place to get there, and again we don’t that they are trying to drop good quality product out of the market,» he said.
«It’s just that really a change comes in at a point in time and there’s transition issues to deal with.»
The exported product had a shelf life of up to two years in the can, and he said the company was not concerned about that.
 
Source: Stuff

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