China orders Abbott infant formula recall
Print Edition
China has ordered US pharmaceutical company Abbott to recall some products over a botulism scare centred on New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, authorities said yesterday.
Two batches of Abbott’s baby formula “risked having been contaminated by clostridium botulinum,” the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.
The quality watchdog was alerted by the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing on Monday over the two batches.
The bacteria can lead to paralysis, breathing difficulties and even death.
The US company confirmed yesterday that none of its products sold in China contained contaminated whey protein.
However, Abbott determined with Fonterra on Sunday that two batches of its formula had been packaged at Fonterra’s production line that had residues of the tainted raw material.
Abbott identified a total of 7,181 cartons of which 112 had been sold. The unsold formula will be destroyed.
Consumers who bought Similac Gain Plus Stage 3 in 900g tin packages with batch numbers 287834k402 and 287844k402 can ask for a refund or exchange at local retailers without a receipt, Abbott said.
The stage 3 infant formula is intended for children above one year old, and Abbott said the potential health risk was remote as children of that age were considered to have the ability to resist the bacteria.
Meanwhile, UK dairy company Cow & Gate has also recalled New Zealand-linked products in Hong Kong and Macau over fears they might contain the deadly bacteria. It is retrieving 87,000 cans from Hong Kong and 13,000 in Macau.
Dumex, part of France’s Danone group, also added two batches to its precautionary recall list on China’s mainland yesterday in addition to the 12 batches announced over the weekend.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says he is prepared to come to China if needed to address the Fonterra whey contamination scandal.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully, and possibly Trade Minister Tim Groser, will visit China in a few weeks, Key was quoted as saying in yesterday’s New Zealand Herald.
Groser said China’s ban on imports of whey protein powder and milk-based powder may expand to more categories or products.
Chinese food and drug authorities yesterday published a list of 128 domestic companies approved to produce milk powder, in a bid to better supervise the production of infant formula.
The list will enable the public to check the qualifications and other relevant information about such producers, according to the China Food and Drug Administration, Xinhua news agency said.
The administration said it would be launching a campaign to examine and file details on baby formula producers as part of efforts to clean up the industry and standardize product information.
Also yesterday, China invited public comments on a draft regulation on infant formula production designed to raise standards in the sector.
The regulation, drafted by experts and food and drug supervisors, requires producers to have a milk source built or controlled by themselves as well as research and development capabilities.
It also raises managementrequirements, especially in the purchase of raw and supplementary materials, and production requirements, such as cleanliness.
Organizations and individuals can make comments and suggestions by August 15.
The draft is aimed at improving the quality of domestic-brand formula, the reputation of which was seriously undermined by the 2008 tainted milk scandal.
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