Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh among those affected by mass recall of French-made baby milk

Above, baby milk produced by French dairy giant Lactalis are placed in boxes at a drugstore in Anglet, southwestern France after being taken off shelves for retail. (AP)

PARIS: A tainted baby milk scandal affecting some 30 countries is growing, as French dairy giant Lactalis recalled millions more products globally because of fears of salmonella contamination.
Lactalis had already recalled several million baby milk products earlier this month. On Thursday, the company expanded the recall to all products made in its factory in Craon in western France since February “as a precautionary measure.”
In a statement, Lactalis apologized to customers and said investigations confirmed the outbreak began after renovation work earlier this year at the Craon site. Production has been halted at the site.
French health authorities said 26 infants fell ill in early December linked to Lactalis products. The symptoms of salmonella infection include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. Most people recover without treatment.
Lactalis spokesman Michel Nalet said on Thursday that the newest recall affects about 30 countries but did not have a breakdown of which ones.
A French government list earlier this month said countries affected include Britain, Greece, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Sudan, Peru and Colombia. The US is a major market for Lactalis but is not affected by the recall. The company has production sites in 47 countries, including the US.
The products affected include baby milks sold under the Picot, Milumel and Pepti brand names.
Lactalis is among the world’s biggest dairy producers, with brands including President and Galbani cheeses and Parmalat milk. A privately held, family-run company headquartered in Laval in western France, it has 75,000 employees in 85 countries and annual revenues of about €17 billion.