Fonterra milk products banned for 2 weeks

Colombo: A Sri Lankan court on Fridayissued an order preventing the sale, distribution andadvertising of all Fonterra milk products for twoweeks, officials said, after a health sector trade union soughtthe order saying Fonterra had been misleading the public withits advertising.

The National Health Services Union said it sought the orderbecause there were Fonterra milk products still in the marketsuspected to be contaminated with dicyandiamide (DCD) despite anorder from the health ministry that they be recalled. DCD is anitrate inhibitor used in fertilisers.

"An enjoining order was issued preventing Fonterra...from(wholesaling), selling and distributing and or selling foragents of all brands of Fonterra products for a period of twoweeks," Upul Jayasuriya, who appeared on behalf of NationalHealth Services (Trade) Union, told Reuters. The court had alsobarred advertising by Fonterra's milk products, Jayasuriya said.

An official from Fonterra Brand Sri Lanka declined tocomment on the court order, saying they had not received theorder yet.

The Health Ministry had said a recent local test by SriLanka's Industrial Technology Institute discovered DCD in someFonterra brand milk powders and had directed the world's largestdairy exporter to recall the products.

Fonterra has disputed the accuracy of the local testing, buton Thursday, Leon Clement, managing director of Fonterra BrandsSri Lanka, told Reuters that the company has recalled twobatches of Anchor-branded product as the result of the directivefrom the Ministry of Health and the recall has now been completed.