Milk producing and processing company Parmalat de Venezuela issued a statement published in local media offering to President Hugo Chávez their most "sincere apologies for failing to reach our goal as a company of clearly reporting on the events that occurred in the specific case of the seizure of milk in a plant located in the city of El Vigía, state of Mérida (western Venezuela)."

"We did not intend to undermine the efforts made by your honorable government and other public bodies in favor of domestic food supply and the protection of consumers, in which we have played an active role for the good of the sovereign people," Parmalat said.

The Italian company reasserted its commitment to "Venezuela's agri-food safety, consistent with government programs aimed at achieving full food self-sufficiency in Venezuela."