Infant milk threat: Who to contact

There is already a lot of information swirling around about the blackmail threat to poison infant formula and other products with 1080. Here is a guide to the basics.

MPI Deputy-General Scott Gallacher and Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Clement in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

• Police say the threat was received by Fonterra and Federated Farmers in November.
• They want public help to catch the blackmailer and if you have any information then call 0800 72 36 65 or email opconcord@police.govt.nz). Anonymous calls can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 55 51 11.
• The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says even tighter security measures have been introduced around the production and sale of milk products in the past three months.
• During this time, a new testing regime was introduced and more than 40,000 milk products have been tested. None had tested positive for 1080.
• Officials say New Zealand is at an extremely low risk of any poison entering the production flow and that it may be a hoax. They say the formulas are as safe today as they were before the threat was made.
• They encouraged people to keep using formula as they always had, but to check packaging for signs of tampering before use. Click here to see how to tell if that has happened (PDF, 578 KB). If you suspect a package has been tampered with contact police on the aforementioned numbers.
• If you have any questions about what to feed your baby, call PlunketLine on 0800 93 39 22.
• If you have more general questions then call 0800 00 83 33 or email (info@foodprotection.govt.nz)

Watch videos from today's media briefings by police, MPI and Fonterra