5 infants in HK sickened by tainted formula  

(Photo: Wen Wei Po)

(ECNS) – Hong Kong's Department of Health received five reports on Tuesday of infants suffering discomfort after drinking Cow & Gate's Happy Kid 3 Formula, according to Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po.

The five infants were reported to have symptoms of fever, food refusal, drowsiness and fatigue after drinking contaminated formula.

Officials from Hong Kong's Center for Food and Safety said they would randomly inspect milk powder products on the market and update results every day.

Cow & Gate has announced a recall of two batches of Happy Kid 3 (formula for ages 1 to 3). The supplier of Cow & Gate promised on Tuesday to recall 60 thousand of the 80 thousand cans of contaminated milk powder on Hong Kong's market in two days. The rest might be stored in retail stores, or had already been sold.

New Zealand Milk Powder (HK) Limited said they had been informed of the recall of Karicare Gold Stage 2 (formula for children over 6 months old). But when and how many cans will be recalled are yet unknown.

Ko Wing-man, Secretary for Food and Health of Hong Kong, said he couldn't rule out that other foods tainted with bacteria Clostridium botulinum may have entered Hong Kong's market.

Other foreign brands have been eager to distance themselves from New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra. Abbott said its milk powders are produced in European factories and that those on the market in Hong Kong and Macao conform to safety standards. Nestle, Snow Brand Milk, Mead Johnson, and Friso Care have all claimed they don't use Fonterra's concentrated whey protein powder.

The six brands mentioned above share 90 percent of the milk powder market in Hong Kong.