The chairwoman of the Chinese dairy company that sold fatally contaminated infant milk formula says she acted on information supplied by Fonterra.
Former Sanlu chairwoman Tian Wenhua, 66, sentenced last week to life in prison, says a Fonterra-appointed director gave her a document stating the European Union's permitted levels of the industrial chemical melamine.
Fonterra chief executive Andrew Ferrier confirmed to the Herald yesterday that Tian had been given a document by a Fonterra board member. However, he said Fonterra was "vividly clear" to Sanlu that the only acceptable level of melamine was zero.
China's state news agency, Xinhua, has reported that Tian intends to appeal against her conviction for producing and selling false or substandard products.
Three other company executives received 15, eight and five-year sentences respectively. Two men were sentenced to death.
Xinhua said rather than stopping production of tainted products after the contamination was confirmed on August 1 last year, Sanlu decided to limit melamine levels to within 10mg for every kilogram of milk.
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