Savencia unit recalls baby milk in France after salmonella alert
24/01/2019 18:00
PARIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Sodilac, a unit of French dairy
group Savencia SAVEN.PA , said it was recalling infant formula
sold in pharmacies in France and produced at a Spanish factory
due to possible links with salmonella cases among babies.
Sodilac said in a statement it had decided, in agreement
with the French authorities, to carry out a precautionary recall
of all products under its Modilac brand supplied by the Spanish
factory.
This extends beyond the two batches initially connected to
the salmonella outbreak that caused four babies to fall ill.
The babies, aged between two and 10 months at the time,
became sick with the 'salmonella poona' strain of the disease
between late August and late December last year, France's public
health agency said in a separate statement.
"The initial investigation, in contact with the parents of
the four babies, has shown the consumption, in the days
preceding the symptoms, of milk powder of the same brand and
produced by the same factory in Spain," the agency said.
Three of the babies were admitted into hospital and all were
later discharged, it said, adding that investigations were
continuing with authorities and the factory in Spain.
The alert comes a year after a massive recall of infant
formula by Lactalis, the world's largest dairy group, after
dozens of babies contracted salmonella.
The alert, linked to a factory in northwest France, drew
criticism from politicians and consumer groups about a lack of
transparency at Lactalis and led the company to close
permanently one of its production lines. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N1Y54TC
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz
Editing by Bate Felix and Alexandra Hudson)
((gus.trompiz@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 52 18; Reuters
Messaging: gus.trompiz.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))