Consumer group files complaint after infant milk recalls

PARIS, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Consumer rights campaign group foodwatch filed a criminal complaint in Paris on Thursday on behalf of eight families whose babies it says fell ill after consuming contaminated infant formula, claiming companies waited too long to warn the public.

Several companies, including Nestle, Danone and Lactalis, have withdrawn batches of infant formula in the past month over concerns about possible contamination with a toxin cereulide that can cause nausea and vomiting.

Berlin-based non-profit foodwatch, which operates against food corporations and regulatory authorities in Europe, said babies had developed repeated vomiting, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, and some required hospitalisation before the recalls.

The complaint calls for a criminal investigation into possible offences by manufacturers and alleged failures by authorities to act promptly. Foodwatch noted “silent withdrawals” in some countries and delays in consumer warnings.

Nestle said it had behaved responsibly, proactively and transparently in taking action.

“When we confirmed the oil ingredient used in some of our products as the root cause, we acted swiftly to notify authorities, proactively alert the industry, and to inform customers, partners and importantly consumers, in line with our values to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of babies everywhere,” a Nestle spokesperson said.

Danone, Lactalis, Hochdorf, Granarolo and Vitagermine, which were all named in the complaint after recalling products, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

One baby in Belgium’s Flanders was confirmed ill from contaminated Nestle infant formula, local food safety authorities said last week. The baby fully recovered, they said.

Nestle said it had so far received no medical reports confirming a link to illnesses associated with its products.

French investigators are examining whether there is a link between the death of two infants and recalled formula products.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, additional reporting by Alexander Marrow;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)