Story highlights New Zealand police reveal threat to poison infant formula Letters were sent containing contaminated formula and a demand to government The letters called for government to halt use of 1080 poison in pest control efforts <\/p>\n
Police appealed for public help to find the alleged blackmailer, at a press conference in Wellington Tuesday. <\/p>\n
They revealed an investigation had been underway since November, when anonymous letters were sent to giant dairy cooperative Fonterra and a farmers' lobby group. <\/p>\n
The letters were accompanied by small packages of milk powder containing a concentrated form of 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate), a poison used by New Zealand's Department of Conservation to control introduced pest species such as possums and rats. <\/p>\n
The letters threatened to contaminate infant and other formula with 1080 unless New Zealand stopped using the poison for pest control by the end of March, police said in a statement. The letters said the threat would be made public if the demand was not met. <\/p>\n
New Zealand's heavy use of 1080 -- it uses about 80% of the world's manufactured stocks, according the country's Environmental Protection Agency -- has been a controversial issue, with conservationists and farmers generally supporting the measure, and some hunters and animal rights activists opposed. <\/p>\n
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the threat amounted to \"eco-terrorism.\" <\/p>\n
Prime Minister John Key said at a press conference that police had advised that there was a low likelihood of the threat being carried out. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, government officials said supplies of formula had not been contaminated, and urged consumers to continue using the products. <\/p>\n
\"We are confident that New Zealand infant and other formula is just as safe today as it was before this threat was made,\" said Scott Gallacher, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry for Primary Industries. <\/p>\n
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'Eco-terrorism' threat in New Zealand<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Story highlights New Zealand police reveal threat to poison infant formula Letters were sent containing contaminated formula and a demand to government The letters called for government to halt use of 1080 poison in pest control efforts Police appealed for public help to find the alleged blackmailer, at a press conference in Wellington Tuesday. Continue reading