A court in Sri Lanka today temporarily banned the sale of milk products of a New Zealand company, currently the focus of a global health scare.
Fonterra, the New Zealand dairy giant would therefore be barred for 14 days from marketing and distributing all products and has been clamped from holding media campaigns on the issue in terms of the enjoining order issued today.
The court order in Gampaha district followed an order issued last week by the Head of the National Food Advisory Committee to ban milk products which could carry Dicyandiamide (DCD), a farm chemical.
Health authorities ordered all milk products with possible DCD content off the shelves.
The order came after tests for DCD contamination of milk powder conducted by the local Industrial Technological Institute (ITI).
Fonterra, however had expressed doubts about Sri Lanka's capability to test for DCD.
Sri Lanka had previously ordered two batches of milk powder to be withdrawn from the market for possible DCD contamination.
Earlier this month, Fonterra announced a global safety recall of dairy products after tests turned up a type of bacteria that could cause botulism.
New Zealand was Sri Lanka's major milk and dairy product supplier in 2012 and enjoyed the larger market share out of over USD 300 million worth of imports.
