China has ordered US pharmaceutical company Abbott to recall some products in the country over a botulism scare centred on New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, authorities said Tuesday.
Two batches of Abbott’s baby formula “risked having been contaminated by clostridium botulinum”, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a statement.
Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria that can cause botulism, an infection that can lead to paralysis and death.
“The AQSIQ has required Abbott... to recall the relevant products to protect the health of Chinese consumers,” said the statement.
The formula, intended for children aged between one and three, was produced by Fonterra on May 2 for a Shanghai subsidiary of Abbott, it added.
Fonterra revealed at the weekend that a whey product used to make baby milk and soft drinks had been contaminated with the bacteria.
The company has blamed the contamination on a dirty pipe at a North Island processing plant.
