The commerce ministry has started working towards preventing entry of tainted milk through imports, a senior official said yesterday.

The move comes after Fonterra, the world's largest dairy producer, admitted that some batches of its infant formula and sports drinks contained a whey product contaminated by a bacteria that can cause the sometimes fatal illness botulism.

There have been no reported illness so

far, but many countries including China have temporarily stopped or restricted the import of some of the products of the New Zealand-based company.

"It's a matter of public health. We are working on how to handle it. We are gathering information about importers. We will sit with stakeholders and experts to decide the next steps after Eid vacation," said the official seeking to remain unnamed.

The ministry held a preliminary meeting yesterday to examine the current rules and testing procedures for powder milk imports, he added.