Alert on contaminated baby food

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (December 11) advised the public not to feed babies with a certain batch of baby food that might contain Clostridium Botulinum.

The affected product is "Hipp's fruit purée with banana and apricot", with "L35655" marked on jars and a use-by date of December 31, 2008.

The Norwegian authorities have issued a warning to consumers not to use the affected product because of the risk of Clostridium Botulinum, a bacterium which could contaminate food in a container (e.g. bottles) which has been improperly treated and sealed. Intake of food containing the bacterium could cause botulism, a life-threatening illness, or death.

Retailers should also stop selling this product.

"The CFS has contacted the Norwegian authorities for further information. We have informed the trade of the incident and are closely monitoring the situation," a CFS spokesman said.

Ends/Thursday, December 11, 2008