Police raid Lactalis after milk scandal
Print Edition
French police raided the headquarters of dairy giant Lactalis yesterday over a baby milk salmonella scare that has sickened dozens of children and led to a major international recall.
Dozens of police were searching the company’s offices in Laval, western France, as well as its factory in nearby Craon which was the source of the tainted milk.
Lactalis has recalled baby milk from 83 countries, with anger growing after it emerged that the company’s own tests had discovered salmonella at the Craon site in August and November.
The company did not report the findings and said it had no legal obligation to do so because it had not detected salmonella in its products.
The contamination, found in a dehydration tower used to reduce milk, was not revealed to the public until December.
At least 37 babies in France are known to have fallen sick.
Magistrates and 70 police were raiding Lactalis sites yesterday. Officers were guarding the factory doors, with dozens of police vehicles on site.
At the company headquarters, investigators from public health agency OCLAESP and consumer protection agency DGCCRF were searching the premises alongside police.
The recall affects 12 million boxes of powdered baby milk under brands including Picot, Milumel and Celia.
The raids come after Paris investigators opened a preliminary inquiry on December 2 for suspected fraud as well as endangering health by failing to properly execute the recall.
Lactalis CEO Emmanuel Besnier at the weekend offered to compensate the affected families.
But an association of victims’ families has rejected the offer, accusing Lactalis of trying to buy their silence.
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