30 Aug 2013

Key to go to China after inquiry

2:02 pm on 30 August 2013

Prime Minister John Key says he hopes to go to China as soon as a ministerial inquiry into the Fonterra contamination scare is finished, to reassure consumers there.

The Infant Formula Exporters Association says the Government should head to China to push the message that infant formula from New Zealand is safe.

Mr Key said on Friday he wants to wait until he well informed about what actually happened before he heads there.

He said, practically, it would not make sense until he can confidently answer those basic questions about the whey powder contamination scare.

Mr Key said demand for New Zealand dairy products in China is back on the rise.

The Ministry for Primary Industries announced on Wednesday afternoon that Fonterra product was not infected with Clostridium botulinum. A global recall was previously announced on 3 August.