/ 28 November 2008

Hawkers arrested for selling toxic milk powder

Five unlicenced hawkers found selling contaminated baby milk powder have been arrested in Durban’s city centre, eThekwini metro police said on Friday.

Superintendent Joyce Khuzwayo said the five were arrested on Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street and Warwick Avenue on Thursday afternoon and were found to be in possession of contaminated milk powder with an estimated street value of R20 000.

This included 60 tins of Nestlé Lactogen 1 and Nido 1.

It was also determined that all five were foreigners operating without permits.

Khuzwayo said police suspected the products had been stolen from a delivery truck and a shop.

The suspects were due to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Friday on several charges including the possession of stolen goods.

The Deparment of Health recalled two baby products earlier this week after they were found to contain high levels of melamine.

At the time, the department’s spokesperson Leon Mbangwa said Nestlé’s Nido Growing up Milk for one-year-olds, and a batch of Lactogen Starter Infant Formula had been recalled.

Tests on a sample, he said, had shown that Lactogen contained a level of 1,6 mg/kg of melamine and the Nido brand had 3mg/kg of melamine.

”This is more than the internationally accepted level of 1mg/kg for foodstuffs intended for infants and young children, such as infant formula, applied by the Department of Health as a cut-off level.”

The department said information from the manufacturer indicated that the product was made in South Africa and contained only locally produced ingredients such as fresh milk and animal feed. – Sapa