The infant formula scandal rocked France.

The Lactalis scandal, a leading French dairy company.

The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Protection and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) inspects a supermarket selling milk on January 11. Photo: AFP

Discovered in December 2017, the Salmonella-contaminated infant formula scandal at the Lactalis factory is attracting significant public attention in France. As of January 9th, the French Ministry of Health had identified 35 infants infected with Salmonella.

The cause was determined to be that the babies had consumed milk or infant formula produced at the Lactalis factory in Crion, Mayenne. Eighteen infants were hospitalized but were later discharged.

In a speech on January 11, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire described the situation as "serious" and said those responsible for these unacceptable disruptions must be punished. Minister Maire's announcement was part of an investigation into the milk scandal that began on December 26, 2017.

Previously, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Protection and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) had conducted a recall of related products at 2,500 establishments.

The inspection results showed that 91 boxes seized from 30 large supermarkets, 44 pharmacies, 2 kindergartens, 12 hospitals, and 3 wholesalers were problematic and were immediately destroyed. Mr. Maire also said that the DGCCRF will conduct a new investigation at 2,500 establishments next week.

The French Minister of Economy was frank about the fact that the dairy company Lactalis bears primary responsibility for the crisis, and the matter has been taken to court.

Mr. Maire emphasized that, due to Lactalis's negligence, the French government had to issue an order to suspend and recall more than 600 batches of infant formula, equivalent to approximately 11,000 tons of milk, starting on December 9th.

During the meeting with the company, the dairy company "agreed to the recall quantity" but "did not fully cooperate" with the state authorities. In addition, from December 11-13, 2017, the DGCCRF inspected and found inconsistencies, and even shortages, in the export and import shipments. Subsequently, Lactalis identified five missing shipments.

In another development, French President Emmanuel Macron assured that appropriate “punishment” would be imposed and that “food safety remains assured in France.”

For his part, Michel Nalet, spokesperson for Lactalis, said the company had been working immediately after the scandal broke and was “actively cooperating with all authorities.” Michel Nalet reiterated his apologies to parents who may have purchased the contaminated milk.

The weaknesses of the product distribution system are clearly revealed.

A number of distribution systems in France have admitted to discovering flaws in their systems. Photo: AFP

The Lactalis scandal gained even more public attention after investigators found 984 unlicensed products sold to 782 customers within the distribution system.

Notably, authorities had previously conducted nationwide inspections to ensure that contaminated dairy products were removed from shelves and inventory in all distribution systems, including hospitals, shops, supermarkets, and pharmacies.

Following this discovery, many distributors, including major supermarkets in France, admitted that they had found flaws in their systems for removing potentially Salmonella-contaminated products manufactured by Lactalis.

Specifically, at Carrfour, 434 Lactalis products were still sold to customers after the recall order was issued; at Auchan, the number was 52 products; and at Systeme U, it was 384 products. According to another report, despite strict measures taken by authorities to recall the contaminated Lactalis milk products, 352 products that should have been recalled were still found at Geánt supermarket, Casino supermarket, convenience stores, and 11 products at Franprix.

Of course, this is only a small number of distributors within France's large and widespread distribution network. This means that many more contaminated Lactalis dairy products have yet to be recalled.

These figures once again demonstrate the inefficiency of the distribution system in France. This is especially true considering Auchan previously stated that the supermarket chain had even "received a shipment containing recalled Lactalis dairy products on December 21st."

Some retail systems explain that the causes of these problems stem from a combination of factors. For example, during the holiday season, distributors have to import large quantities of goods, making it impossible to focus on controlling the quality of infant formula products…

Regarding the DGCCRF's explanation for the errors, the agency stated that "the product withdrawal/recall process is carried out on a voluntary basis or at the discretion of the Minister and is the responsibility of the manufacturer. The manufacturer must determine the necessary means to ensure operational effectiveness."

Chu Thanh