French dairy company Lactalis is proactively recalling six batches of its infant formula brand Picot due to contamination of raw materials with the microorganism Bacillus cereus, but the Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau (ISAF) and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) confirmed yesterday that the product has not been imported by local businesses, according to a joint ISAF and IAM statement yesterday.
Bacillus cereus is a species of bacteria known for its ability to cause foodborne illnesses, such as diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.
The six batches of the French brand are as follows: 8000003312, 8000003280, 8000003281,8000003297,8000003298, and 8000003400. Specific details can be found via the webpage link: https://www.gov.mo/zh-hant/news/1212043/ .
Meanwhile, according to a separate IAM and ISAF statement yesterday, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) announced that two batches of “Neoangelac Plus Anbu infant formula products, manufactured by Taiwan-based brand - Neoangelac (新安琪兒), are being recalled due to potential contamination of their raw materials with Bacillus cereus. However, the bureau underlined that the affected brand of infant formula from China’s Taiwan region has not been imported by Macau. The batches of problematic products are as follows: 8000003215 and 8000003675
The Health Bureau and the Municipal Affairs Bureau are continuously monitoring and jointly following up on the incidents, the statement said.
The statement urged residents to immediately stop letting infants and young children consume products from the affected batches, regardless of whether they were purchased through online shopping, overseas purchasing services, or other channels, adding that if any infant or young child experiences discomfort after consuming the involved products, they should seek medical attention right away.
For any enquiries regarding the related products, please call the Food Safety Hotline on 2833 8181.
This image courtesy of the Soin et Nature French pharmacy website shows the Picot AR 2nd stage 800g format, one of the affected batches of infant formula containing Bacillus cereus.
