New Infant Formula Rules Introduced by New Zealand

To protect its reputation as the demand for infant formula is booming, New Zealand has announced a change in its infant formula regulations.

Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye said the review was a proactive measure to strengthen confidence in an export commodity now worth NZ$600 million ($470 million) annually to New Zealand, with China accounting for about one-third of the market.

"Export assurances are particularly important for infant formula exports where consumers have strong concerns about food safety, quality and product integrity," she said in a statement.

The Infant Nutrition Council, an industry body which earlier this month warned that "inexperienced" companies were risking New Zealand brands by making misleading marketing, welcomed the move.

"For consumers to have confidence in the safety of the product and New Zealand's reputation they must be aware of the tight rules that the government has in place around its manufacture and marketing," it said.

China's growing economic prosperity has helped fuel demand for infant formula, with many parents suspicious of the local product after a series of food scandals.

They include an incident in 2008 when six children died and 300,000 others fell ill after drinking milk tainted with the industrial chemical melamine.

New Zealand, the world's largest dairy exporter, is a popular source of formula due to the country's "clean, green" reputation.

Source: AFP