Lactalis baby milk recall revealed ‘major dysfunction’ as stores continued to sell contaminated products
French food safety inspectors failed to detect salmonella contamination at the Lactalis facility three months before the company carried out the recall
France said on Thursday there has been a “major dysfunction” in a recall of baby milk after stores sold potentially contaminated products despite being told to take them off their shelves.
Lactalis, one of the world’s largest producers of dairy products, in December issued a recall of all products made at its factory in Craon, northwest France, after discovering salmonella bacteria at the site. But several retailers admitted this week that they had continued to sell the manufacturer’s affected products even after the ban.
“This is a major dysfunction in the withdrawal and recall by the operators who bear the responsibility,” French Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert told a news conference.
Supermarket chain Carrefour said Wednesday it had sold 434 boxes of baby milk produced by Lactalis that should have been withdrawn and Systeme-U admitted to selling 384 boxes. Earlier Leclerc said it had sold 984 affected Lactalis products since the recall and Auchan 52.
Hypermarket chain Casino, which also owns the Franprix and Geant franchises, was the latest to come forward on Thursday, saying it had sold a total of 403 items covered by the recall.
This case is serious. It has led to unacceptable behaviour that needs to be punished
Industrial leaders, intermediaries and retailers must now “shed all possible light on the failings that they discovered and assure us that none of the products concerned are still on the market or in stores,” Travert said.