On Friday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Nestle Canada sent out an advisory notice warning consumers about the three 900 g cans of Nestle Good Start Iron Fortified Infant Formula.
Tampered infant formula
Garfield Balsam, food safety and recall specialist with the CFIA told Canadian media that the agency had the powdered product in the lab to confirm that it was flour.
Of the three cases, there has been one reported illness associated with the consumption of the product. A child reportedly became ill after ingesting the powdered baby formula. According to Balsam the child was not hospitalised and is now better.
The other two cans were discovered on the shelves of two grocery stores in Nepean, Ottowa.
“It’s not usual, tampering is always a concern to us,” Balsam said, adding that there was a similar incident in the province a couple of years ago where the motive was monetary gain.
Consumers using the powdered infant formula products are being advised to look under the plastic lid of the cans to ensure that the metal or foil top is sealed properly.
The CFIA and the Ottawa Police Service are currently conducting an investigation into the case.
Salmonella outbreak
Product safety announcements have also been made to customers in the UK following the current Salmonella Typhimurium DT8 outbreak and also the recall of a Morrissons’ snack product.
On Friday the Food Standards Agency (FSA) reminded consumers and caterers of the importance of good hygiene practice when cooking with and consuming duck eggs. The announcement follows an investigation by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) indicating that from 1 January 2010 to date, 63 cases of the infection have been reported in the UK.
Two cases of hospitalisation are known to be related to the current outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium DT8. A death is also thought to be associated with the outbreak, although at present the link is uncertain.
Evidence from investigations carried out by the HPA and FSA supports a link between the consumption of duck eggs and this outbreak.
Morrisons Coconut Bites recall
A warning has also been delivered to the public regarding Morrisons on its own-label Mini Coconut Bites which may be contaminated with small pieces of thin metal.
No other Morrisons products are known to be affected.
A spokesperson from Morrisons said that a small number of the product had been recalled but the company refused to comment further about the incident.