SFA recalls 2 more Dumex Dulac infant formula products following detection of toxin
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The latest products affected are Dumex Dulac Stage 1 and Dumex Dulac Stage 2, with respective batch numbers 101575737 and 101570779.
SCREENGRAB: COLD STORAGE
SINGAPORE – Two more infant formula products have been ordered off the shelves by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) after they were found to contain the cereulide toxin.
This latest move involves Dumex Dulac products, and comes after a wave of infant formula recalls
SFA and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said in a joint statement on Jan 30 that as at Jan 29, there were two more cases who had consumed the affected products and had mild symptoms that were likely associated with cereulide exposure.
This brings the total to three cases to date. All the cases have since recovered, the agencies said.
SFA has completed testing all infant formula products sold at major retail outlets in Singapore currently, and the latest products are the last two batches to be recalled.
The statement added that the latest two products may have used the same raw ingredient supplied by the same source used in the earlier batches of implicated infant formula products
Cereulide is a toxin produced by the Bacillus cereus bacterium and is almost impossible to remove from food because it is resistant to both heat and alkalinity, and is too small to be filtered out.
It can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.
The agencies said there are currently no definitive clinical laboratory tests available to confirm cereulide poisoning.
CDA is working with SFA, and is conducting surveillance with medical practitioners to look out for potential cases of cereulide poisoning in children, the statement said.
SFA issued a direction to recall the implicated products as a precaution, the statement added.
The latest products affected are Dumex Dulac Stage 1 and Dumex Dulac Stage 2, with respective batch numbers 101575737 and 101570779. They both come in 800g with an expiry date of Sept 5, 2027, and originated from Thailand.
In total, there are nine implicated batches of imported infant formula products, said the agencies.
These nine make up about 5 per cent of Singapore’s imported supply of infant formula products, and are a minority of overall infant formula products available here, the statement said.
Consumers who have bought the affected products are advised not to feed them to children.
Those whose children have consumed these products and are unwell should seek medical advice promptly, the agencies advised.
On Jan 17, the agencies called for a recall of two products
Nestle on Jan 5 said that it was issuing a recall of batches of infant formula
The recall was taken as a precaution after the Swiss food giant said it detected a “quality issue” in an ingredient sourced from one of its major suppliers.
On Jan 8, the recall was extended to Africa, the Americas and Asia. At least 37 countries have issued health warnings over the infant formula products, likely linked to contamination.
