France’s Rappel Conso (a French government website that raises alerts for dangerous or defective products) and the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced on Monday and Tuesday respectively that they are conducting a precautionary recall of multiple batches of infant formula produced in their countries due to contamination of their raw materials with the microorganism Bacillus cereus, but the Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau (ISAF) and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said on Wednesday that the problematic products have not been imported by local businesses, according to a joint ISAF and IAM statement.
Bacillus cereus is a species of bacteria known for its ability to cause foodborne illnesses, such as diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.
According to the statement, the problematic infant formula products comprise the French brand Popote (batch 910077 and 910143), BABYBIO CAPREA (batch 899014 and 911057) , BABYBIO OPTIMA (batch 907179) and British brand SMA First Infant Milk (batch 53390346AB); specific details can be found via the webpage link: https://www.gov.mo/zh-hant/news/1214539/.
The Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau (ISAF) and the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) will continue to closely monitor the situation and coordinate follow-up actions, their statement said.
Both bureaux urged residents to immediately stop feeding infants and young children with the affected batches, regardless of whether the products were purchased online, through personal shopping services, or other channels. If any discomfort occurs after consumption, medical attention should be sought promptly.
For enquiries related to the products, please call the Food Safety Hotline on 2833 8181.
This image courtesy of the Zoom by Ocado website from the UK shows the SMA First Infant Milk 800g, one of the affected batches of infant formula containing the Bacillus cereus that is potentially harmful to health.
