Additional District Court judge of Gampaha issued an enjoining order effective for 14 days preventing Fonterra selling all its products, distributing or selling through agents as well as any form of advertising in a misleading manner.
The court order was given after taking up the case filed by the Government Nursing Officers Association.
Chairman of the Health Services Trade Union Alliance, Saman Ratnapriya stated yesterday that the Health Ministry had halted the release of all imported dairy products containing whey protein from the port. However, we see that this ban has not been properly implemented as super markets and other stores across the island continue to sell these products, Ratnapriya said.
He stated that it is the duty of the Health Ministry to prevent the consumption of these dairy products which contain whey ingredient with a bacteria that can cause botulism.
He stated that hospitals in the country provide patients with food items such as yogurts which also contain whey protein contaminated with the bacteria C. botulinum and that this should be halted immediately.
Saman Ratnapriya further charged that despite the ban imposed by the Health Ministry after Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) had detected that the milk powder contained the dangerous fertiliser chemical dicyandiamide (DCD), the Fonterra company continues to mislead the public by claiming that their product is 100% healthy.
They completely disregard the consumers of Sri Lanka and act only seek to earn profits, he said.
Despite an interim order preventing Fonterra from advertising any of its products as 100% perfect, we see that they continue to do so through print and electronic media and they have even gone so far as to issue hand bills through shop, he said.
Following the controversy over traces of dangerous fertiliser chemical dicyandiamide (DCD) found in milk powder, the New Zealand Government reassured Sri Lankan consumers that food safety is a “priority” for all food produced in New Zealand for export to Sri Lanka.
The New Zealand Government said that dairy products the country exported to Sri Lanka must conform to New Zealand’s domestic requirements and any additional requirements put in place by the Sri Lankan government.
