NZ says milk safe, following chemical find

The New Zealand government insisted yesterday that the country's dairy products are safe, after traces of a toxic chemical were found in milk.

Concerns were raised after dicyandiamide (DCD) was detected in New Zealand milk. Farmers applied the chemical to pastures to stop nitrate fertilizer by-products from getting into rivers and lakes.

High doses are reported to be toxic to humans.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said they are asking New Zealand authorities to provide detailed information on the incident, after Chinese consumers raised concerns.

This includes the quantity of DCD discovered and the brands and batches involved, China's Central Television reported yesterday.

However, there were no reports of New Zealand dairy products being taken off the shelves in Chinese shops. About 80 percent of China's imported milk comes from New Zealand, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The scare began on Thursday, when two major New Zealand makers of agricultural chemicals announced that they had suspended sales of DCD after low levels of the substance were found in dairy products.

New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, Director-General Wayne McNee said yesterday there has been some confusion about the suspension of DCD.

"The use of DCD was suspended by its manufacturers because very small traces of residue were unexpectedly detected in New Zealand milk. DCD residues have been only found in some milk powder products and not in other dairy products such as butter and cheese," McNee said in a statement.

"The detection of these small DCD residues poses no food safety risk. DCD itself is not poisonous. It is actually vastly less toxic than common salt," McNee said.

The statement also said that DCD is not related to melamine.

In 2008, melamine-tainted milk killed six children in China and left 300,000 ill.