ABU DHABI // Baby milk products on sale in the capital are perfectly safe, according to the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.
The announcement follows international reports regarding the contamination of powdered baby formula and other dairy products from New Zealand with the bacterium clostridium botulinum.
Consuming food so contaminated can result in botulism, an illness caused by bacteria that generate a toxin that affects the nerves. Honey, home-canned foods, corn syrup and bottled garlic have been known to cause botulism.
Symptoms include weakness, double or blurred vision, a dry mouth, weak muscles and slurred speech. The illness may also lead to paralysis and, in some cases, even death.
But Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, of the Food Control Authority, said there were no records of any contaminated baby formula entering the UAE.
cmalek@thenational.ae
