The Fonterra Co-operative Group is one of New Zealand's largest milk processors and dairy exporters, producing more than 2 million metric tons of dairy products, specialty ingredients and consumer goods a year.

About 95 percent of its dairy products are exported to 140 countries, according to the company's website. It claims more than half of all pizzas sold in China are topped with Fonterra cheese.

China is Fonterra's biggest export market. Its Anmum Materna line of products for expectant mothers and the Anlene line of products for the elderly sell well in the country.

In April, it said it was adding to its line of products in China by selling Anmum Infant and Follow-On Formula in stores in select parts of the country from the second half of the year.

The company was embroiled in a food scandal in 2008 when Shijiazhuang Sanlu Group, partly owned by Fonterra, was found to have sold milk tainted with melamine, a chemical that is toxic if consumed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. The contaminated milk killed six infants and poisoned more than 300,000.

Part of its expansion in the country involves setting up dairy farms in China. The company runs two milk farms in Hebei province, with another three under development.

The goal is to produce 1 billion liters of fresh milk a year in China by 2018, according to the company's website.

China Daily

(China Daily USA 08/05/2013 page4)