Fonterra has appointed a Queens Counsel, Jack Hodder, from Chapman Tripp to carry out a review of the recent botulism scare and the way the company handled it.
One of the company's independent directors Sir Ralph Norris will chair the committee to oversee that inquiry.
The inquiry's committee will include two other independent directors, Simon Israel and John Waller and two farmer-elected board members, Blue Read and Nicola Shadbolt.
As well, the review committee will have two outsiders: the retired High Court Judge, Dame Judith Potter and an eminent scientist yet to be named.
The committee is seeking an internationally recognised industry expert on food manufacturing and safety to work with Mr Hodder.
Fonterra's chairman John Wilson says the six week inquiry will start immediately.
He says as well as reviewing the circumstances of how whey product became contaminated, the committee will take a broader look at Fonterra's business procedures, systems and practices.
Labour says too much at stake for in-house reviews.
The Labour Party's primary industries spokesperson is calling for an independent inquiry into the contamination scare.
The Ministry for Primary Industries has also announced its own inquiry into the crisis.
Labour's Damien O'Connor says there's too much at risk for Fonterra and the MPI to do their own in-house reviews.
"This is New Zealand brand at stake here and it is really important that we have a truly independent inquiry, one that will reinforce the integrity, the strength of our brand and assure our customers and overseas countries that we have looked into this thoroughly.
"We can give them the assurance that it won't happen again and we are going to act on any recommendations that come from this inquiry."
Damien O'Connor says people would be naive to believe Fonterra or MPI could conduct thorough independent inquiries when the actions of both parties have been publicly questioned.
