Fonterra warns online milk powder buyers

First it was baby formula - now it appears New Zealand-sourced Fonterra milk powder is also being sold online in China.

Fonterra's general manager for marketing and innovation, Brett Charlton, said the company was aware of the unofficial online trade of its products in China.

He said it was unclear whether or not the suppliers were getting export certificates for their products.

"Our advice to consumers, wherever they are in the world, is to always buy from a legitimate source, as the producer can not ensure the quality of products once the products are in the hands of unknown third parties," said Charlton.

Advertisments for New Zealand-sourced Anchor milk powder can be found on both the alibaba.com and taobao.com Chinese trading websites.

Online traders in New Zealand, cashing-in on the Sanlu melamine scandal, are exporting New Zealand-made baby formula to parents in China who are still too scared to feed locally-made formula to their babies.

One trader on alibaba.com promises a "supply ability" of 10,000 bags of Anchor milk powder a month, delivered to any address in China.

Last week nzherald.co.nz reported on the online trade, in China, of New Zealand made Karicare baby formula.

In order to protect domestic supplies, New Zealand supermarkets have introduced limits on the amount of baby formula any one customer can buy.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has said it will investigate if the online traders are gaining correct certification for their exports.