The latest scare dealt a fresh blow to sensitive Chinese consumers as an increasing number of them have come to worship foreign brands after trust in domestic producers has been hammered by a 2008 milk scandal, in which six infants died for consuming baby milk tainted by melamine.

In the first half of this year, China's milk powder imports from New Zealand jumped 34.3 percent year on year to reach 371,000 tons, accounting for 83.3 percent of its total imports, Chinese customs data showed.

AQSIQ on Sunday also issued a consumer warning for three batches of Karicare-brand dairy products produced by New Zealand company Nutricia.

Nutricia has initiated preemptive recalls over concerns that some materials supplied by Fonterra for the production of Karicare-brand products may be contaminated.

The affected Karicare products are not officially imported to China, but may have entered the country through other channels, AQSIQ said.