France orders international recall of Lactalis baby formula

PARIS: France has ordered banned the sale and ordered a recall of several baby formula milk and baby food products made by French dairy giant Lactalis after the discovery of salmonella bacteria, consumer protection agency DGCCRF said in a statement.

The recall includes products for export, including to China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Colombia, and Peru.

Some were also destined for regional markets, including Africa and Asia.

The agency said that Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy company, had not managed contamination risk and has been ordered to conduct a product recall and halt the sale and export of several baby food products made at its Craon plant in western France since Feb. 15.

The recall follows 20 cases of salmonella infection of infants in France during early December, which had already prompted a limited recall of 12 Lactalis products.

This week five new cases were reported of infection with the “salmonella agona” bacteria. One of the infants had consumed a Lactalis product that had not been on the first recall list. The infants have now recovered, the agency said.

Lactalis spokesman Michel Nalet said on BFM Television that the products can be exchanged in pharmacies or supermarkets. He said that any salmonella bacteria would be killed by boiling the milk for two minutes.