Contaminated Milk Scare: Government Calls For Vigilance

The Ministry of Trade has withdrawn from supermarkets, possibly contaminated baby milk and cereals produced by a french dairy company, Lactalis, from February 15 last year.

Government is advising citizens to immediately notify State authorities if they come across shops that are still selling milk and cereals which have been identified to possibly contain salmonella bacteria. The call is based on the premise that some businessmen may still be selling the products in spite of government effort to withdraw all of it from shops nationwide.

On December 26, 2017, LACTALIS International, French company producing baby milk and cereals, issued a statement recalling all of its baby milk and cereals produced from February 15, 2017.

Agents of Cameroon’s Ministry of Trade swung into action two days after the statement as Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana ordered withdrawal of the products from all shops and pharmacies in the country. Charles Monefong Abessolo, Chief of the Control and Research department of the Ministry of Trade told Cameroon Tribune the operation was carried out nationwide to prevent further sale of the products.

He said normally companies that bought such products are supposed to return them to LACTALIS and get a refund.

“It should be noted that the company itself, revealed that a batch of its products is suspected to contain a harmful substance that may cause Salmonella infection (salmonellosis). The company ordered the recall in collaboration with French government’s health authorities,” Monefong said.

The statement from the company highlights that the withdrawal is only a precautionary move and also says further that consumers who are unable to return the products, should boil...