AJITH SIRIWARDANA 
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ITI rejects Fonterra charges
Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) today categorically rejected the statement made by Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt) Ltd that it (ITI) has no facility to test DCD (Dicyandamide) or Melamine in milk food.
Issuing a statement the ITI said, “ If ITI can be supported with so called advance techniques used in the laboratories in Thailand it will only ease the ITI’s rate of testing and the ability to test extremely low levels of DCD in milk.”
The statement:
Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) has the facility test DCD (Dicyandamide) or Melamine in milk food and although the scientific equipment called HPLC was available at ITI laboratories at the time when the news first broke on DCD in New Zealand milk the method of analysis for DCD was not available the Ministry of Technology & Research said.
The required internationally accepted method of detection was established immediately by acquiring the necessary DCD standards and internationally used accessory for HPLC. ITI currently has several units of this equipment and the institution is ready for routine analysis of milk powder for both DCD & Melamine.
The world has only two methods to test DCD. UV Visible Spectroscopy coupled LC (HPLC-UV/Vis) or Mass Spectroscopy coupled LC (LC-MS or LC-MSMS). Any laboratory in the world has to use one of the two methods. In both the methods same chromatographic system (LC system) called HPLC is used. Only difference in the two methods is the type of detector used. In the case of ITI method UV Visible Spectroscopy was used as the detector.
Therefore, ITI categorically reject the statement that ITI has no facility to test DCD. If ITI can be supported with so called advance techniques used in the laboratories in Thailand it will only ease the ITI’s rate of testing and the ability to test extremely low levels of DCD in milk.
On January 25th, 2013 the Government of NZ announced the two fertilizer companies who sold the product had voluntarily withdrawn it from the market. Despite assurances the contaminant at the levels found, is not a food safety risk, trade to some destinations has been temporarily disrupted. In the long term the issue is unlikely to harm trade of New Zealand dairy products. On Mar 5th, 2013 the Global Dairy Trade auction averaged price gains of 10.4% over all products which suggests that the majority of players in the Oceania market have put the issue behind them.
Government of New Zeland Moves to Re-assure Markets that Milk is Safe After Dicyandiamide (DCD) is Found in Trace Amounts in Some New Zealand Dairy Exports.(OJ)
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