Botulism bacteria found in Fonterra Infant formula
Fonterra, New Zealand dairy Goliath, has announced that some of its ingredients used in infant formula and sports drinks have tested positive for a type of bacteria that could cause the potentially fatal illness botulism.
Countries most at risk could include China, South Korea, UK, France, United States, Japan, Australia and Canada, according to informed sources.
Fonterra identified a potential quality problem in March when a product tested positive for the bacteria Clostridium.
The company today warned that the bacteria had been found in 38 tons of a type of whey protein concentrate processed at its plant at Hautapu in the Waikato in May 2012, but hasn’t yet provided any detail on the customers, countries or specific products that may be tainted.
Fonterra managing director NZ Milk Products Gary Romano told reporters it was up to Fonterra’s customers, “in conjunction with their regulatory authorities, to make statements about particular consumer products,” if appropriate.
Fonterra is the world’s fourth-largest dairy company, with annual revenues of more tan $16 billion.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The Internet Mafia has previously censored Public Health Emergency and global health warnings posted on this blog. The cabal have blocked or buried for commercial reasons potentially life-saving alerts concerning food items originating from New Zealand, especially Fonterra milk products.
What is botulism?
Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and sometimes by strains of Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii. There are five main kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulinum toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. Adult intestinal toxemia (adult intestinal colonization) botulism is a very rare kind of botulism that occurs among adults by the same route as infant botulism. Lastly, iatrogenic botulism can occur from accidental overdose of botulinum toxin. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies. Foodborne botulism is a public health emergency because many people can be poisoned by eating a contaminated food. [CDC]
Clostridium botulinum is the name of a group of bacteria. They can be found in soil, water sediment and fish. These rod-shaped organisms are anaerobic (they grow best in low oxygen conditions). The gram positive bacteria form spores (endospore forming), which allow them to survive in a dormant state until exposed to conditions that can support their growth. There are seven types of botulism toxin designated by the letters A through G; only types A, B, E and F cause illness in humans. [Source CDC and others]
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