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Children ill after drinking Anchor; Health Ministry suspends its distribution, sale
The Health Ministry has suspended the distribution and sale of three batches of Anchor milk powder until further notice, following a complaint of food poisoning of three children in Girandurukotte.
The batch numbers are 994076, 1007853 and 060510494.
The Public Health Inspector (PHI) in the area was informed by the parents about their children who were taken ill after drinking Anchor milk.
Following the PHI’s complaint to the Health Ministry, Health Services Director General Palitha Maheepala ordered an investigation and issued a directive to suspend the sale of three batches of Anchor milk powder.
Another complaint was lodged by the Southern Lanka Bhikku Organisation’s General Secretary, Ven Meewanapalane Dhammaratane Thera, when he met the Health Services DG.
The monk, who resides in Girandurakotte, told the Sunday Times that three children in Girandurukotte were taken ill after drinking Anchor milk, and their parents smelt a foul odor emanating from the milk powder.
Issuing the suspension order after inquiring into this complaint, Dr Maheepala has sent Anchor milk powder packets of the relevant batches for laboratory testing.
Dr. Maheepala has directed all Provincial and Regional Health Directors and Medical Health Officers attached to Municipal Councils, to temporarily prohibit the sale of Anchor Milk powder of the relevant batches pending results of the laboratory tests.
He also directed officials to create awareness among the authorities stipulated in the Food Act, on this suspension order. The Regional and Provincial Council Directors and others overseeing the exercise will have to ensure that every single suspect Anchor packet is removed from the open market.
Commenting on the issue, Sanath Mahawithanage, Associate Director – Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, Fonterra Brands Lanka, said in a statement: "We have been informed that the Ministry of Health is taking a precautionary measure to temporarily put a hold on the sale of three batches of 400 gram Anchor full cream milk powder”.
“Our investigations conducted on samples from these three batches by internationally accredited independent laboratories confirm that there is no food safety or quality issue. We are now waiting to hear back from the Ministry of Health on the outcome of their investigation. In the meantime, they have confirmed that this is a precautionary measure," he added.