This worrying news that the National Center of Epidemiology has made public by transmitting it to the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) indicates the existence of an outbreak of 'Salmonella poona' in infants. The most worrying thing is that it has been indicated that it is probably associated with the consumption of artificial milk by babies.
It is considered that it is possible, although there is no confirmation with analysis yet, that the cause is the consumption in homes of, specifically, Lot 236 of the Blemil Plus 1 Forte brand, expiring in August 2012.
The suspicious lot
We already alert you to the packaging problems of this lot and its withdrawal order by the company. However, and, although one of our readers told us that the brand told him that all boats were already safe, the official news indicates that if there are boats in families' homes of affected babies and, as a precaution, they should be taken to the store and not consumed.
The fact that there are cases in which this milk was still at home makes me, first of all, point out that the mechanisms of information to the population and analysis of the product once the packaging problem was detected, have not been adequate .
Insecure protocols
If it is shown that the contamination has been caused by the packaging problem and that there have not been sufficient controls on its withdrawal, destruction and pre-epidemic analysis I believe that we are facing a serious case whereby parents should demand better controls on this vital product for babies fed with artificial milk.
The seriousness of these facts, whether it is true or not that it is precisely this particular product that is the cause or another, reiterates to me in the opinion that more intense safety standards should be applied to artificial milk for babies, because, as we can see, let it be Considered a food and not a medicine, it makes the previous checks not enough to avoid these serious problems, which I am convinced would be reduced with different protocols.
Salmonellosis from food contamination is serious for an adult, but for a nursing baby under six months, fed exclusively with artificial milk, it is something really serious. And it shouldn't happen.
Considering that when the packaging problem was detected, the message was not more alert and the risk of contamination was reducedIf it is proven that this lot is the cause, I consider the issue to be very serious. A lot with this problem is susceptible to contamination and the maximum control of the units and their immediate destruction should be demanded.
Outbreak of salmonellosis in infants possibly caused by contaminated artificial milk
Therefore, and before the news of outbreak of salmonellosis in infants caused, according to the indications and according to the official organisms, for infant milkMy advice is to take precautions and, of course, remove this product and see a doctor if the baby has symptoms.
