(MENAFN- Gulf Times) A salmonella scandal at French dairy group Lactalis has affected 83 countries, where 12mn boxes of powdered baby milk are being recalled, the company's chief executive said yesterday in an interview with French media.
Emmanuel Besnier, scion of the secretive family behind one of the world's biggest dairy groups, was speaking publicly for the first time since an outcry erupted over claims the company hid the salmonella outbreak at a plant making the product.
'We must take account the scale of this operation: more than 12mn boxes are affected, he said, adding that distributors would no longer have to sort through the produce to find the contaminated powder. 'They know that everything has to be removed from the shelves.
The health scare intensified last week after France's biggest retailers including Carrefour, Auchan and Leclerc admitted that products recalled in December had still found their way onto shelves.
Besnier, who was summoned to the French finance ministry on Friday, promised compensation for all the families affected.
His promise came two days after Lactalis widened a product recall to cover all infant formula made at its Craon plant, regardless of the manufacture date, in a bid to contain the fallout from a health scare that risks damaging France's strategic agribusiness in overseas markets.
Besnier said that the consequences of this health crisis for consumers, including babies aged under six months, were at the forefront of his mind.
'It is for us, for me, a great concern, he told the Journal du Dimanche.
Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against the group by families who say their children got salmonella poisoning after drinking powdered milk made by the company.
So far French officials have reported 35 cases of infants getting salmonella from the powder, while one case has been reported in Spain, and another case is being investigated in Greece.
An association representing victims says the authorities are underestimating the number of cases.
'There are complaints and there will be an investigation with which we will fully collaborate. We never thought to act otherwise, Besnier said.
Created in 1933 by Besnier's grandfather, Lactalis has become an industry behemoth with annual sales of some €17bn ($20.6bn), with products including Galbani ricotta and mozzarella in Italy.
With 246 production sites in 47 countries, its list of products also features household names like President butter and Societe roquefort.
Two of those brands, Picot and Milumel baby milk, were the subject of chaotic international recalls issued in mid-December after dozens of children fell sick.
The scandal deepened this month when French investigative weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported that state inspectors had given a clean bill of health to the Lactalis site in Craon, northwest France, in early September.
They failed to find the salmonella bacteria that had been detected by Lactalis's own tests in August and November, which were not reported to the authorities.
The company said it was not legally bound to report the contamination.
Yesterday the French authorities welcomed Lactalis' pledge to compensate victims of the Salmonella contamination, but said a judicial investigation to determine who was responsible would continue.
'Paying compensation is good, but money cannot buy everything, government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said in an interview on BFM TV.
'It is the job of the investigation to determine where failings occurred and who is to blame, he said, adding that 'responsibilities were shared.
Besnier did not say how much the damages might amount to.
Implementing the global recall will be challenging.
Privately owned Lactalis exports its baby food products to 83 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia.
'It's not easy to evaluate the number of items that need to be returned because we don't know what's been consumed already, Besnier said in the interview with Journal du Dimanche.
Friday's recall was the third in a month and Lactalis has come under fire for its response.
Besnier has also been criticised for failing to speak out publicly during the salmonella scare.
While his family is France's 11th wealthiest, according to a 2017 ranking by Challenges magazine, the dairy tycoon has long shunned the public limelight and schmoozing with politicians.
His workers nickname him the 'invisible man.
'We're a discreet business. In this region there is a mentality of ‘work first, speak later', he said.
But he acknowledged lessons had been learned during the past few weeks.
MENAFN1501201800670000ID1096350439
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.