On January 25, Lactalis Nutrition Santé announced a recall of baby formula products--approximately 16,300 boxes sold in French pharmacies--due to possible Salmonella contamination. It has been reported that four babies between 2 months and 10 months old fell ill between August and December 2018. Three of those victims were hospitalized.
According to Lactalis’ press release, distributed online in French, the company says their recall was initiated after “the recall of several infant formulas of a competitor manufactured in Spain by an external supplier.” As a result, Lactalis’ decision to recall their own product, named Picot AR, is merely a precautionary measure. No other products are affected, says Lactalis. The company’s press release indicates that at Lactalis, “all controls are compliant. We act immediately without waiting for the results of the investigations carried out at [the] provider.”
The baby formula in question could potentially be contaminated with Salmonella Poona. The recalled products have been sold to French consumers since November 29, 2018.
The recall of Lactalis products is not the company’s first. In 2017, baby formula was pulled from shelves around the world after French authorities ordered dairy company Lactalis to stop selling hundreds of products because of concerns about food safety. The formula was destined for markets including China, Greece, Pakistan, and Peru; at least 26 infants fell ill with Salmonella poisoning in France.
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