PARIS, Feb 13 (Reuters) – The Paris public prosecutor has opened five investigations into milk brands distributed by Nestle, Lactalis, Danone, Babybio and La Marque en moins after contamination with toxin cereulide, it said on Friday.
Nestle, Danone and Lactalis have recalled batches of infant formula sold in dozens of countries, including France, due to possible contamination with cereulide, a toxin that can cause nausea and vomiting.
“The Paris prosecutor’s office decided to take up the case due to the large number of complaints filed nationwide and the technical nature of the investigations,” it said in a statement.
It also received a complaint filed by the association Foodwatch and complaints from eight individuals whose families reported vomiting after their children consumed infant formula, the prosecutor said.
The companies mentioned by the prosecutor did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside office hours.
The new investigations covered potential offences including fraud concerning goods that pose a danger to human health, and failure by a food business operator to implement a withdrawal for a product harmful to health, the prosecutor said.
Investigations were continuing by local prosecutors in the French towns of Angers, Bordeaux and Blois into the deaths of three infants and whether there is a causal link with the consumption of recall milk, it added.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Gianluca Lo Nostro, Jean-Stephane Brosse, Gus Trompiz and Alexander Marrow; Editing by Louise Heavens)
