Canterbury dairy processor Synlait Milk has cleared the final hurdle in getting access to China for its infant formula products.
Synlait can now sell its finished infant formula in China. Photo: AFP
From May this year, China required all overseas infant formula manufacturers to be registered, but only five of the 13 New Zealand manufacturers had been approved by that date.
That number has now increased to nine, according to the registered companies listed by the Chinese Certification and Accreditation administration.
Synlait was already registered as a manufacturer of general dairy products and formula base powders, but not finished formulas.
It applied for that final step after the Ministry for Primary Industries approved the risk management programme for its new hi-tech dry blending and consumer packaging plant about a month ago.
The plant has a processing capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes a year, or up to 110 cans a minute.
Most New Zealand infant formula manufacturers have now been cleared to supply China, the dominant market for those products.