Major recall of baby formula ‘contaminated with salmonella bacteria’

FRENCH baby milk formula Lactalis has been recalled globally over fears of salmonella contamination.

Health bosses confirmed 26 children in France have become sick and have ordered a recall in Britain, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan.

Michel Nalet, a spokesman for Lactalis, told AFP that "nearly 7,000 tonnes" of formula may have been contaminated.

But the company is unable to determine how much is currently on the market, has been consumed or is in stock.

Lactalis is one of the world's biggest producers of dairy products and is marketed globally under a host of brand names, including Milumel, Picot and Celi.

The company believes the salmonella outbreak can be traced to an evaporation tower - used to dry out the milk - at a factory in the town of Craon in northwest France.

All products made there since February 15 have been recalled, Nalet said.

He added that the company was taking fresh precautionary measures of disinfecting all of its machinery at the factory.

TUMMY BUG What is salmonella, what are the symptoms and treatment and how is it spread?

The latest recall expands a health scare that began at the beginning of December after 20 children in france under the age of six became ill.

A limited recall was originally put in place but regulators later found the measures put in place by Lactalis were "not sufficient to manage the risk of contamination".

Salmonella is a common food poisoning bug that causes severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting.

The illness, caused by intestinal bacteria from farm animals, can prove deadly for the very young and elderly because of the risk of dehydration.

The children in France have since recovered and Lactalis is "not aware" of any more outbreaks.

It is not the first time the baby milk industry has been shaken by a health scare.

In 2008 six babies died and 300,000 became sick when local manufacturers in China were found to be bulking their products with an industrial chemical.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368