“You can understand way the authorities didn’t release the information immediately, but after a short period to check out their veracity, I think most parents would have preferred to find out as soon as possible,” Galloway said.
“Most people operate on a belief they have the right to know and they want to be able to make a decision about whether to stop using a product or not, even when the risk is minimal.”
Galloway said the message that the risk was low and the police were doing everything possible to monitor the threat and apprehend the blackmailer would have done more to establish trust with the public if communicated earlier.
“Announcing the threat four months after the fact puts them in a weaker position,” he said.
Galloway said the agrifood sector is so critical to New Zealand’s economic success that more coordinated crisis communication plans are needed.
“Key stakeholders need to have a co-ordinating action team to so they can move quickly in cases like this to minimise damage to consumer confidence.”
Meanwhile, Massey University food safety specialist Professor Steve Flint said unless the alleged blackmailer threatening to contaminate infant milk formula with 1080 works at a dairy company, it would be extremely difficult for them to access the product.
Flint, from the Institute of Food Science and Technology, said that other means of contamination open to the blackmailer were also limited.
“Supermarkets also have tamper-proof packaging it’s unlikely they’d be able to access it that way either.”
Flint said as with any threat “you can never be completely assured of safety.” However, the chance of this threat happening in New Zealand is extremely low.
