Botulism scare may expand in HK, food secretary warns

Ko suggests stepping up routine tests as another baby formula is recalled

As another baby formula was recalled in the city on Tuesday due to a link to the tainted proteins supplied by New Zealand dairy firm Fonterra, the Secretary for Food and Health, Ko Wing-man, suggested on Tuesday that there was a need to step up routine tests of baby formula.

Ko, who spoke on Tuesday morning, also said the Center for Food Safety (CFS) could not rule out the possibility of other tainted food being imported into Hong Kong. The remark coincided with the new recall of baby formula.

New Zealand Milk Powder ( Hong Kong) Limited launched a “preventive” recall of a follow-on formula called “Karicare Gold+ 2” on Tuesday. The retailer has sold about 600 cans, which were said not to be part of the batch confirmed as tainted.

“Karicare Gold+ 2” targets babies of 6 months and over. A government pediatrician suggested earlier that infants aged below 1 are subject to higher health risks if exposed to the Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which causes botulism.

The same formula was also recalled in New Zealand as a “preventive measure”, but New Zealand Milk Powder was the only local dealer, out of four, to carry out a recall in Hong Kong.

As of 4 pm on Tuesday, two hotlines respectively run by the CFS and the Department of Health had received 708 inquiries since Monday.

While none of the inquiries involved reports of botulism symptoms, five callers reported their infants have felt unwell, with symptoms such as fever, after consumption of the Cow & Gate formula that was recalled on Monday.

Doctors and other medical professionals have been instructed to report suspicious cases.

The fallout began last Friday when the world’s largest dairy product exporter, Fonterra, revealed a dirty pipe at its Hautapu plant might have contaminated three batches of whey protein, a raw material used for a variety of foods ranging from baby formula to sport drinks.

Ko said importers of dairy products and drinks should retrace their supply chains to find out whether the tainted whey protein was used to make their products sold in Hong Kong.

Though it may take weeks for tests to identify traces of the bacteria in the products, Ko said there was still a need to step up routine tests of baby formula in the wake of the milk scare that spans from the Chinese mainland to the Middle East.

The CFS later confirmed that baby formula imported from New Zealand and labeled for infants under 12 months old will be tested. The center said most dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, should have been spared from the bacteria contamination because of high heat treatment.

Cow & Gate continued its recall of 80,000 cans of baby formula that were potentially contaminated. The supplier told the CFS that about 20,000 cans of formula could have been sold to consumers, including visitors, or stored at retailers as of Tuesday.

Cartons of formula were taken away on trucks, as pharmacies told reporters that sales of all Cow & Gate products have plummeted since Monday’s recall announcement.

The Facebook page of Cow & Gate (HK) has been inundated with parents’ complaints. Some said they were not well informed of the health risks, while others were frustrated the company provided no guarantees that other batches were free of trouble.

Many parents asked for refunds, but Cow & Gate said they would “recommend” an exchange because there is no confirmed ill health linked to the botulism scare. There were also reports on confusing requirements set by chain retailers.