Fonterra products free of botulism, says New Zealand

New Zealand has said that Fonterra products at the Centre of a global contamination scare did not contain botulism-causing bacteria.

The scare had triggered a recall and import bans from some countries.

However, the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries said tests suggested the presence of a different type of bacteria that does not cause botulism.

Fonterra is the biggest dairy firm in New Zealand, which is the world's largest exporter of dairy products.

The bacteria found in the whey protein concentrate (WPC) manufactured by Fonterra is not Clostridium botulinum, the ministry said in a statement.

The organism is confirmed as Clostridium sporogenes. It is therefore not capable of producing botulism-causing toxins.