Global Health Alert – Botulism: Infant Formula, Sports Drinks at Risk

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]

Related News Links

• Karicare infant formula affected by contamination

• Botulism bacteria found in New Zealand baby formula
• Infant formula linked to tainted Fonterra products
• Karicare infant formula affected by contamination
• Fonterra File

New Zealand Milk Causes Infant Girls to Grow Breasts

Hormone-tainted milk powder imported from New Zealand causes premature sexual development in infant girls: China health ministry

At least three infant girls in southern Hubei province were found developing breasts, Chinese media reported.

Synutra International Inc, the company responsible for marketing the suspect New Zealand milk powder in China, said it had not  added any hormones to its products.

China Radio International said Synutra’s public relations manager Zhang Yingjiutold told reporters that the suspect milk powder was imported from New Zealand, a report said.

Related Links:

• Small Country, Big ‘Dirty Little Secret’

• Fonterra File
• New Zealand Lamb Week [Is New Zealand Food Safe?]
• New Zealand: Toxic Country – Diseased Food [Food Safety Report Summary]
• Why We Need A Food Revolution [A Report on Food Safety in NZ by a NZ MP]

• Truth About ‘100% Pure NZ Ad Campaign and its ‘Clean and Green’ image

• If You Are Flying to or Importing Food From New Zealand
• Global Food Safety Warning: Atypical Scrapie Found in NZ Sheep
• Four times more babies sickened by Sanlu-Fonterra formula
• Scale of Sanlu-Fonterra Corporate Manslaughter Widens

See Also:

• “Flesh Eating Bacteria” Linked to NSAIDs
• Should We Be Afraid of MRSA?
• MRSA: ACT II
• Global Health Alert: New Zealand MRSA Infections Up 3500 pct
• NZ Dairy Goliath FONTERRA Killing Rainforest
• NZ Sees Surge in Flesh-Eating Disease Cases
• New Zealand Visitor Health Warnings

Small Country, Big ‘Dirty Little Secret’

Thanks to Blogger TEAA for the News Alert, and Kudos to Fred Pearce for a very readable report.

New Zealand: More cows than people!

“It looks like the rest of the world is catching on to New Zealand’s dirty little secret.”

—NZ Green Party co-leader Russel Norman

“But my prize for the most shameless two fingers to the global community to New Zealand, a country that sells itself round the world as `clean and green’, but had increased greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 22 percent since signing up to reduce them at Kyoto.” —Fred Pearce, The Guardian Newspaper, UK.

New Zealand emissions have risen by 22% since the country signed up to Kyoto protocol, Pearce says.

“As the world prepares for the Copenhagen climate negotiations next month, it is worth checking out the greenwash that has followed the promises made 12 years ago when the Kyoto protocol was signed.”

Whereas Britain and Germany have succeeded to cut emissions since 1990, Spain, Portugal, Ireland  and Greece have increased their emissions by more than 25% and New Zealand by 22%, Pearce reports.

The US, Australia and Canada are the other major culprits, however, the other signatories to the Kyoto Protocol have not called them to account for reneging the agreement.

“New Zealand secured a generous Kyoto target, which simply required it not to increase its emissions between 1990 and 2010. But the latest UN statistics show its emissions of greenhouse gases up by 22%, or a whopping 39% if you look at emissions from fuel burning alone.”

Per capita emissions in New Zealand are  60% higher than in Britain, Pearce reported. In fact the emissions are so large that only Canada, the US, Australia and Luxembourg exceed them.

“In recent years a lot of Brits have headed for Christchurch and Wellington in the hope of a green life in a country where they filmed the Lord of the Rings. But it’s a green mirage.” Pearce says.

To rub our noses in it, last year New Zealand signed up to the UN’s Climate Neutral Network, a list of nations that are “laying out strategies to become carbon neutral.”

The small print, if you read them, tell a different story. “New Zealand has actually promised, it is a measly 50% in emissions by 2050 – something even the US can trump.”

Where do all these emissions come from?

“New Zealand turns out to be mining ever more filthy brown coal to burn in its power stations. It has the world’s third highest rate of car ownership. And, with more cows than people, the country’s increasingly intensive agricultural sector is responsible for approaching half the greenhouse gas emissions.” Pearce reports.

What is the UNEP ding about it?

Sadly, instead of the UN Environment Program removing New Zealand from its list of countries that have promised to opt for climate neutrality, the “steely guardians of the environment meekly say that the network ‘will not be policed… nor will UNEP verify claims.'” Pearce says.

Further exposing the UNEP scams and their climate chicanery, Pearce says:

“Indeed, it seems to go to great lengths to deny reality. Check the UNEP website and you will find an excruciating hagiography about a “climate neutral journey to Middle Earth”, in which everything from the local wines to air conditioning and Air New Zealand get the greenwash treatment.”

And here come the blatantly shameless advertising for which more than one person in UNEP must have been heavily bribed:

After extolling the country’s green credentials, it asks: “Have you landed in a dreamland?” Well, UNEP’s reporter certainly has. He cheers New Zealand’s “global leadership in tackling climate change”, when the country’s minister in charge of climate negotiations, Tim Groser, has been busy reassuring his compatriots that “we would not try to be ‘leaders’ in climate change.”

“This is not just political spin. It is also commercial greenwash.”

“New Zealand trades on its greenness to promote its two big industries: tourism and dairy exports. Groser says his country’s access to American markets for its produce is based on its positive environmental image. The government’s national marketing strategy is underpinned by a survey showing that tourism would be reduced by 68% if the country lost its prized ‘clean, green image,’ and even international purchases of its dairy products could halve.” Pearce reports.

Defying Reality

Pearce says New Zealand policies go against the  reality of  climate change: “The trouble is,” he asserts, “on the climate change front at least, that green image increasingly defies reality.” Read full report here.

The following links provide additional information on New Zealand’s false claims to a ‘clean, green image.’

Your remoteness means 17.4 metric tons of CO2 pollution produced per UK visitor.

Saatchi and Saatchi, the vampires of commercialism, with their corny slogans and downright dishonest tricks on “selling” New Zealand, are back, again, on the government payroll: “Our remoteness is our strength.” [Recall George Orwell’s famous slogan perpetuated by The Party:”War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” ]

[Note: Driving an average passenger car in the US over a year, traveling 12,500 miles (20,112 km), which burns about 581 gallons (2,200 liters) of gasoline, produces about 11,450 pounds (5.2 metric tons) of carbon dioxide. A couple on a return flight from the US to NZ produce as much CO2 as driving their car for about THREE years! A European/UK couple on a return flight to NZ produce more CO2 than in EIGHT years of driving.]

On a return flight from the United States to New Zealand, each visitor produces about 7.4 metric tons of CO2e pollution [11.1 metric tons of CO2e if flying from the US Atlantic coast]; a UK visitor produces about 17.64 metric tons of CO2.

Related Links:

• Fonterra File
• New Zealand Lamb Week [Is New Zealand Food Safe?]
• New Zealand: Toxic Country – Diseased Food [Food Safety Report Summary]
• Why We Need A Food Revolution [A Report on Food Safety in NZ by a NZ MP]

• Truth About ‘100% Pure NZ Ad Campaign and its ‘Clean and Green’ image
• More Eco-Terrorism in Antarctica
• Stop New Zealand Committing Eco-Terrorism!
• Eco-Tourism Is an Oxymoron!

• Eco tourism harming New Zealand’s marine wildlife
• Torturing and Killing Defenseless Animals
• Every time you fly someone will die!

• If You Are Flying to or Importing Food From New Zealand
• On a return flight from the United States to New Zealand
• To & From New Zealand: Double Act of Eco-Terrorism

• Eco-Terrorism and Dead Rare Sunfish
• STOP Killing Our Oceans!
• Eco-Terrorists on Thin Ice

• Tourist boats destroying dolphin community in New Zealand
• Sick kiwis harm generous dolphin

NZ Dairy Goliath FONTERRA Killing Rainforest

Our thanks to TEAA for supplying the links

New Zealand dairy Goliath Fonterra and NZ farmers fed their national herd one-quarter of the world’s palm kernel stock food supply in 2008

A new scandal involving Fonterra, New Zealand’s dairy Goliath, and the country’s unscrupulous farmers has broken out.

Fonterra and NZ farmers imported more than one million tonnes of palm kernel expeller (PKE) in 2008 from Indonesia and Malaysia, where the tropical rainforest is being lost leading, among a plethora of looming ecological disasters, to the destruction of orang-utan and tiger habitat.

To produce palm kernel (and palm oil) vast tracks of tropical rainforest in Indonesia and Malaysia are clear-felled to make room for plantations, destroying a primary carbon sink, in addition to creating a major source of carbon emissions, and accelerating the extinction of thousands of species.

The Sumatran orang-utan is losing its habitat to New Zealand farmers. Photo: Oka Budhi/Greenpace

“An international body, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, has been set up to ensure sustainable supply of palm product, but secretary-general Dr Vengeta Rao said last week that ‘very little’ of what entered New Zealand would have been certified.” NZ’s Sunday Star Times reported.

Roundtable say only a total of about 330,000 metric tons of PKE on the global market since August 2008 may be considered certified. New Zealand imported 1,104,387 ton, nearly the same amount as the combined consumption of the 27 EU countries.

Two weeks ago, the Sunday Star-Times travelled to Indonesia with Greenpeace communications manager Suzette Jackson and Waitakaruru farmer Max Purnell to see, first hand, the impact of this trade that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says has increased one thousand-fold since 2000.

We spoke to community leaders who said they had been jailed in their fight to keep land from palm companies, and conservationists who feared for the future of animals such as the Sumatran orang-utan.

“Not only is this trade damaging to the environment on the ground here, it’s also really damaging to how we are trying to portray ourselves internationally, as a country that does care, that does give a damn, and wants to live up to what we trade on our clean, green identity,” said Jackson.

Are New Zealand farmers telling the truth about “the spike in imports” being due to a harsh drought in 2008 compelling them to import supplementary feed?

Not so!  Says Jackson, “the figures have climbed really steadily over the past 10 years. Drought has a little bit to do with it, but the major reason this increase has come about is through the intensification and corporatisation of New Zealand’s dairy sector.”

Purnell said he had witnessed the “systematic, deliberate, studied rape and desecration of land and the local people’s ability to have a future with it”.

New Zealand palm kernel imports jumped from a third of a ton in 1999 to about one-half of a million ton in 2007 and then more than doubled to over 1.1 million tons in 2008.

According to an article published in the  Sri Lankan daily newspaper, Heladiwa Irida Sangrahaya, Fonterra milk products are adulterated with palm oil or other vegetable oils. “On March 15, the newspaper printed an article and editorial alleging the milk products did not contain full cream, but instead added palm oil and vegetable oil.”  Fonterra didn’t like the article and is seeking a billion rupee (about $17 million) and a gagging writ over the newspaper and its editor.

Fonterra part owns the rural supply chain RD1, which sells palm kernel expeller to the farmers. RD1 buys its bulk imports from Wilmar International, the world’s largest trader of palm oils and kernel, a company known globally for rainforest destruction.

Be fair to the rainforest, tiger, orang-utan, and countless other species that are going extinct.

Boycott New Zealand Dairy and Meat Products!

Related Links:

• Fonterra Files
• Fonterra mixing palm oil in their dairy products

• Hundreds of Dead Animals Litter NZ Beaches
• UK’s Waitrose refuses to stock NZ-caught hoki
• Image of the Day: The Unreal
• Global Travel Warning!

• New Zealand H1N1 Mutation Targets Maori
• Travel Health Alert: Measles Outbreak in NZ
• Eco-Terrorism and Dead Rare Sunfish
• Swine Flu Mystery Deepens
• Global Health Alert: New Zealand MRSA Infections Up 3500 pct

• Day Birds Fell From Sky
• Biotoxin Bulletin – Imported NZ Food Alert
• Global Food Safety Warning: Major Outbreak of Salmonella in New Zealand
• Global Food Alert: Deadly Baby Milk From China, New Zealand
• Orchids from ‘Hell’ for Obama Inauguration

• Fish liver oil supplement scam!
• What happens when you kill Chinese babies?
• To & From New Zealand: Double Act of Eco-Terrorism
• Was Dr Adu-Bobie A Victim of Biological Weapons Experiments?
• Why did 63 percent of all British households abstain from eating NZ lamb in 2008?

Tainted Milk Sickens Lion Cub and Baby Orangutans

Lion cub, baby orangutans sick from tainted Sanlu-Fonterra powdered milk

A lion cub and two baby orangutans nursed with tainted milkpowder for about a year have developed kidney stones at Hangzhou Safari Park near Shanghai.

A young orangutan is checked for kidney stones at an animal hospital in Hangzhou, in east China’s Zhejiang province, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008. A lion cub and two baby orangutans from the Hangzhou Safari Park were found to have kidney stones after zoo workers fed them Sanlu brand milk powder for more than a year. Tainted dairy products have sickened thousands of infants and killed four in China. (AP Photo/EyePress). Image may be subject to copyright.

The tainted milk powder was made by the Sanlu-Fonterra joint venture operation, which has sickend at least 54,000 infants in China killing four. [The exact number of the dead infants appears to be a state secret.]

“The milk powder crisis made us very worried about the health situation of baby animals,” Ju Lijia, the animal park’s spokeperson reportedly said. “We stopped feeding with Sanlu after it was found to be tainted.”

So far, the three animals are the only ones diagnosed with kidney stones, Ju said. (Source)

Sanlu Was First Banned in 2004, then Reinstated

Why Both Fonterra & NZ Govt Must Have Known About Tainted Baby Formula Long Before Their  Corporate Manslaughter Case

The following article, which is reprinted in full in view of public interest, is another damning testimony why both Fonterra and New Zealand Government must have known about Sanlu tainted milk practice by as early as December 2004.

Tainted Milk Powder Banned Four Years Ago – But back on shelf with authorities’ backup

Sep 21, 2008 (Last Updated: Sep 22, 2008) –
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/china/tainted-milk-four-years-ago-4573.html

By Xin Fei
Epoch Times Staff

The reprint of communist regime’s mouthpiece Xinhua News by China Pharmaceutical News on December 7, 2004, 'Sanlu Powdered Milk: Turn Crisis into Turning Point' ((Screenshot))

Deception that began four years ago continues, as the furore of tainted powdered milk causing kidney stones in babies spreads throughout China.

The public learned, earlier this month, that milk powder tainted with melamine has been found to be the cause of kidney stones in infants across China. At least four babies have died as a result.

In an incident four years ago, following the “Big Head Baby” media report in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, Sanlu’s powdered milk had been blacklisted as inferior.

Shortly after, Sanlu was removed from the blacklist, by the communist regime’s food administration, and reinstated.

Many people in Fuyang, knowing that Sanlu powdered milk had quality problems, suspected the company of manipulating the local and central government officials and using the Chinese state media in efforts to restore its reputation.

Media Reports Indicated No Crisis

A December 7, 2004 reprint of state-run Xinhua news by China Pharmaceutical News headline reading: ‘Sanlu Powdered Milk: Turn Crisis into an Advantage’ provided a clue that the group was aware the powdered milk had been tainted.

On January 16, 2004, Zhang Guangkui of Yongzhuang Village, Luzhai Town, Linquan County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province complained that the Sanlu infant powdered milk formula that he bought was tainted.

On April 22, the front page of local Fuyang newpaper Yingzhou Evening News printed a list of tainted powdered milk brands resulting from the spot check. Sanlu infant milk formula was 32nd on the list.

On the same day, Sanlu Group deputy general manager Zhang Zhenling and other high level staff members hurried to Fuyang City to negotiate with the local government. A statement said:  “ … a mistake was made by related workers” and Fuyang City apologized.

A few days after April 22, 2004, markets all over the country were compelled to remove and seal Sanlu’s powdered milk.

Sanlu’s sales fell, its losses exceeded tens of millions RMB (around US$10 million).

On April 26, the Ministry of Public Health, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) issued an emergency notice requesting local law-enforcing departments to allow normal sales of Sanlu powdered milk.

On the first working day after the “May 1” seven-day-long holidays that year, AQSIQ announced that as a result of a spot check, 30 companies producing powdered milk had been declared as safe.

Sanlu was the first one on the list.

Public Relations Crisis Management Efforts

According to a Xinhua News report in 2004, on April 27, Sanlu and several dozen dairy enterprises conducted good faith symposiums in several cities. The theme was  ‘Resisting Killer Powdered Milk’.

They jointly released the first ‘Dairy Business Good Faith Pledge’ in the country, firmly promising not to produce or sell inferior quality dairy products.

Within one day, Sanlu had notified 93 media nationwide, and 19 media removed Sanlu powdered milk from their blacklist reports.

On April 28, 2004, organized by Specific Association for Child Food, Chinese Society for Food Science and Technology, Sanlu and nine food security trusts donated 4,985 boxes of infant powdered milk to Fuyang City in an experimental bid for commercial enterprises.

After these events, in many business strategy documents and articles, Sanlu was used as model for managing crisis successfully.

In September 2008, when poisonous Sanlu powdered milk was first exposed, Sanlu vigorously denied any contamination in the powdered milk and attempted to redeem itself by citing conclusions given by the authoritative quality examination departments.

According to Tencent QQ financial channel report on September 11, Sanlu Group media department indicated;

“Sanlu is a brand product of powdered milk, the production is strictly in accordance with national standards and the product is qualified. Currently, there is no evidence indicating illness caused by Sanlu powdered milk.”

Since the incident came to light last week, the Sanlu Group has continued to gloss over it and deny involvement, while passing the blame onto dairy farmers.

As pressure increases domestically and internationally, the communist regime’s officials, at all levels, have ducked for cover saying that Sanlu knew the facts all along but failed to file a report.  Copyright the author or respective news agency. [Emphasis are added by FEWW]

Related Links:

• Fonterra Files (Index page)
• Tainted Milk Powder Banned Four Years Ago-But back on shelf with authorities’ backup

• Anything for Power: The Real Story of China’s Jiang Zemin – Chapter 24
• Another Substandard Powdered Milk Casualty: “Big-Head” Baby Discovered in Guangzhou (May 2004)

• Tainted Milk Powder Banned Four Years Ago

Possibly Related Links:

• Is This Black Scientist an Unwitting Victim of New Zealand’s Germ Warfare Experiments?
• A Victim of Biological Weapons Experiments?

Scale of Sanlu-Fonterra Corporate Manslaughter Widens

Update Sept 22-08: Sanlu Was First Banned in 2004, then Reinstated

The number of babies hospitalized with kidney stones rises above 13,000, news of dead infants appears suppressed.

53,000 babies sickened, 13,000 of them hospitalized and at least 4 dead in Sanlu-Fonterra corporate manslaughter

Australian news outlet LiveNews reported that about 13,000 Chinese children have been hospitalized after consuming contaminated Sanlu-Fonterra baby formula. However, the reported number of babies who lost their lives appears to have been suppressed by the authorities and remains at 4 dead infants.

Security staff keep order as families with children who are undergoing medical checks for possible kidney stones wait their turn at a hospital in Chongqing municipality, September 19, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright.

In a new development, a Hong Kong toddler was diagnosed with a kidney stone after consuming melamine-tainted baby formula,  the first reported casualty outside mainland China. [Source]

The Chinese PM, Wen Jiabao appeared on state television promising to prevent further incidents. [More likely to prevent the news of further incidents from spreading!]

Related links:

• Fonterra Files (Index page)
• China’s Quality Watchdog Chief Quits in Wake of Milk Scandal

Breaking News: China Deadly Milk Scandal Deepens

Update Sept 22-08: Sanlu Was First Banned in 2004, then Reinstated

China Finds Liquid Milk Also Tainted

First melamine-tainted milk powder, now melamine-tainted ‘fresh’ milk, too!

Chinese inspectors said they found 10% of the milk from the country’s two largest dairies, Mengniu Dairy Group and Yili Industrial Group, contained up to 8.4 milligrams of melamine per kg.

This news came amid deepening tainted powdered milk scandal which has already killed 4 babies and claimed up to 7,000 infant victims with kidney stones, including at least 150 babies with acute kidney failures.  Sources:      Video;  BBC; AP

Parents and their infants queue for medical treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Zhengzhou in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province, Sept. 17, 2008.  4 Infants have already died and up to 7,000 developed kidney stones, 150 of them with actue kidney failures, drinking Sanlu-Fonterra tainted baby milk powder. The chemical melamine was added to the milk as it was believed to have helped to increase protein content. (Xinhua/Zhao Peng).

Related Links:

• Another Human Tragedy Deepens in China

• To NZ PM Clark: Confirm or Deny!
• CPC Big Guns: The Root of All Evil in China
• Global Food Alert: Deadly Baby Milk From China, New Zealand
• Chinese, New Zealand contaminated milk powder kills two

• Consumers being deceived of origin of powdered-milk: New Zealand Dairy Products Bangladesh marketing products with fake information
• New Zealand Health Warnings

• Victims of Sanlu-Fonterra Business Venture Top 6,200

Fonterra had Foreknowledge

• Dozens of Chinese babies die ‘from fake milk’ [2004]
• China ‘fake milk’ scandal deepens [2004]

Truth About New Zealand

• The Truth About ‘100% Pure New Zealand’
• The poisoning of New Zealand