Chelsea Sugar (also known as the New Zealand Sugar Company) has been fined $149,500 for importing and distributing over 970 tonnes of sugar contaminated with lead.
The contamination was traced back to a shipment from Queensland in September 2021, where the sugar was transported aboard the cargo ship Rin Treasure.
Prior to this voyage, the vessel had carried metal sulphide concentrates, including zinc and lead. Despite a cleanliness report, the ship’s hold cleaning was ineffective, leading to the sugar’s contamination.
Upon detection, Chelsea Sugar initiated a recall of various raw and soft brown sugar products sold under the Chelsea, Woolworths, and Pams brands. The recall affected products sold during October and early November 2021. Consumers were advised not to consume the affected products and to return them for a refund.
The Ministry for Primary Industries charged Chelsea Sugar, leading to a sentencing hearing in September 2024. The court’s decision, released on February 7, 2025, imposed the $149,500 fine. Vincent Arbuckle, New Zealand Food Safety’s deputy director-general, emphasized the gravity of the situation: “Offending at this scale is rare, and the court’s sentence today sends a strong message that it will not be tolerated.”
The contamination had significant repercussions, affecting consumer access to certain sugar products and impacting businesses that utilized the tainted sugar in their offerings. Arbuckle noted, “These recalls had a significant impact on consumer access to certain sugar products, such as brown sugar. It also affected a large number of other businesses which had to recall products made with the contaminated sugar.”
While the immediate health risk was considered low, authorities stressed the importance of stringent safety protocols in food production and distribution to prevent such incidents in the future.
