High-Throughput Quantification of Monofluoroacetate (1080) in Milk as a Response to an Extortion Threat

What is it about?

When an extortion threat was made in 2014 to poison New Zealand milk and infant formula with 1080 poison, every single tanker of milk had to be tested to ensure consumer safety and confidence. Testing had to be reliable, fast, and able to measure extremely low levels. This was the method used to test 136,000 milk samples from January to July 2015, when the police identified the extortionist (who was later jailed) and the threat was removed.

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Why is it important?

Credible threats to poison food must be taken extremely seriously as they can endanger the health of large numbers of people. Other food companies can learn from this account of a response to an extortion threat to poison milk. Would-be extortionists who are capable of carrying out their threats often have some technical expertise, and it is important that they, too, understand that their attempts to endanger public health will be thwarted.