DHULAM: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has said it will hold the makers of Similac infant formula responsible if any of its products suspected of contamination is found on the Saudi market. Manufacturer Abbott announced a voluntary recall of some powered formula products due to possible contamination by beetles or beetle larvae, and the SFDA said a thorough assessment of Similac products available in the Kingdom would soon be completed. If contaminated products are found, it said, Abbott “will be held responsible for delaying its recall”. The SFDA warning comes after several authorities, including the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, gave the Kingdom the all-clear order. Abbott had stated that the recalled batches had not reached Saudi Arabia or the region. An SFDA official said, however, that despite the reassurances from official sources, he could not rule out tainted products entering the market through other channels. “Unsafe products have entered the Kingdom in the past through third-party importers via countries where they were not produced or major stores that import them directly,” he said. U.S authorities said no health threat was posed to children by the presence of beetles, but that they might experience “discomfort” and a reluctance to feed.
