The formula milk for babies has been linked to outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in France
ISLAMABAD: Reacting to the information regarding an outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in France among infants less than six months, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Drugs Inspector Sardar Shabir Ahmed has started taking prompt action after he directed all the sale outlets operating in the territorial jurisdiction of the capital to immediately stop the sale of the implicated batches of the formula milk for babies being imported from France.
The inspector, in his alert notification issued to Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association (PCDA) General Secretary Qaiser Masood, available with Pakistan Today, wrote that, “This is with reference to the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) Secretariat information regarding an outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in France among infants which had been caused by lactose free milk products manufactured by Lactalis Group and marketed in Pakistan by M/s PharmEvo with the brand name of Celia, and by M/s Indus Pharma with the brand name of Gromore.
The notification reads, “In view of the above you are requested to convey to all the sale outlets operating in the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad (preferably using quick mode like Whatsapp or others) to immediately stop the sale of the implicated batches of the above referred products and intimate this office regarding the recall of batches by the manufacturers concerned.” Shabir Ahmed directed the officials concerned that this issue must be accorded top priority.
Keeping the severity of the issue in mind, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, had issued a public advisory regarding the use of Celia and Gromore (Product of M/s Lactalis International, France) on the event of global recall of few implicated batches by the principal manufacturer and importers as informed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The advisory read that these particular batches of Celia and Gromore being voluntary recalled were recommended for use in lactose intolerants infants. Pursuant to the global recall, DRAP had taken prompt action and activated the Federal Inspectorate and Quality Assurance team for the removal of implicated batches from the market.
DRAP had collected the records of import transaction of these batches from France. The recall process had been initiated in collaboration with the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Baluchistan, Giglit-Baltistan (GB), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and ICT administration, who were advised to monitor the recall process through their surveillance force.
It is pertinent to mention here that the government of France had already declared the milk injurious to health for containing highly sensitive bacteria that could cause prolonged diarrhoea and abdominal diseases in infants.
The French government ordered its manufacturer to recall all consignments from all over the globe and pay compensation to its users mostly concentrated in seven countries, including Pakistan.
