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China's importers have begun to recall and seal products produced by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra.
The move comes after the country's top quality watchdog warns that some imported whey products may be contaminated with clostridium botulinum.
PKG
On Friday, New Zealand dairy company Fonterra announced that some of its whey protein produced in May 2012 was found to be contaminated with the toxic bacteria.
Later, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine announced a list of four domestic companies that have imported potentially contaminated products from the company.
Shanghai-based baby formula maker Dumex says it's sealing imported Fonterra products and recalling two of its branded formula products.
Dumex has produced about 727 tonnes of its own milk powder products with the potentially tainted materials.
And more than half of them have already been sold in China's domestic market.
On Sunday afternoon, relevant products of Dumex were removed from shelves in many supermarkets in Shanghai.
The Wahaha Group, which owns two of the companies in question, has initiated recalls for affected products, despite finding no signs of contamination in them.
Shanghai Tangjiu, a Chinese agent for Fonterra products, says it has imported 4.8 tonnes of affected whey protein before selling them to the Shanghai branch of Coca-Cola.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) FAN QINYU, Spokesman, Shanghai Tangjiu:
"Our company is only an import agent. Coca-Cola has insisted on using Fonterra products. Coca-Cola came and picked up the imported products last week."
Coca-Cola confirmed the news in a statement, which says 4.8 tonnes of the ingredient have been sealed.
The remaining whey protein was used to produce milk beverages that are now being recalled.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) WANG YANFENG, PR manager, Coca-Cola Shanghai:
"Only 25 kilograms of tainted materials have been used. This has been confirmed after a thorough check. The remaining are either still being transported, or being kept in the storehouse which has been sealed up."
On Sunday, the watch dog also issued a consumer warning for three batches of Karicare-brand dairy products produced by New Zealand company Nutricia.
The affected Karicare products are not officially imported to China, but may have entered the country through other channels.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) Shanghai resident:
"Foreign milk powder also has quality problems and I won't blindly believe in foreign brands in the future."
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) Shanghai resident:
"No matter domestic or foreign, all milk products shall be put under scrutiny of related authorities. To beef up quality check is the most important."
In the first half of this year, China's milk powder imports from New Zealand jumped 34 percent year on year to reach 371,000 tonnes, accounting for 83 percent of its total imports.
TAG
Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce toxins and can cause botulism, a rare but potentially life-threatening illness.
Symptoms of botulism include nausea, vomiting, drooping eyelids, difficult swallowing and paralysis.
