Theories called speculative

The New Zealand Veterinary Association believes that unproven theories by a retired Matamata veterinarian do little to clarify the investigation under way to determine the cause of the contamination of some Fonterra dairy products.

Matamata retired veterinarian and farm consultant Frank Rowson recently expressed doubts that the contamination of dairy and other products was caused by a dirty pipe at Fonterra’s Hautapu plant.

He believed Fonterra should be tracing the source of the clostridium bacteria back to farms or its own water supply and wanted to talk to the cooperative about the threat of glyphosate contamination links in the food chain.

The association is working closely with the Ministry for Primary Industries and Fonterra in their investigation after clostridium bacteria that can cause the deadly botulism illness was found in whey batches .

Veterinarians support a ‘‘robust scientific process’’ to establish the cause.

‘‘Claims made by Mr Frank Rowson recently reported in the media about the cause of the contamination are speculation and not helpful in assisting the investigation,’’ NZVA president Dr Steve Merchant said.

He said Rowson, described as a vet and farm consultant in the media, was not a registered veterinarian nor a member of the association.

‘‘He does not represent the views of the veterinary profession or that of the NZVA.

‘‘We are dealing with a complex scientific issue and we need to bring together the relevant scientific expertise in New Zealand to ensure the investigation leads to a successful resolution.’’

Web sources list Rowson as a retired vetwith a degree in BVetMed and practising in 2009 in Matamata.

That same year he accepted a position as a trustee for Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility group.