Complaints about Aptamil Infant Formula Attracted China Customs’ Attention

2018-07-16    THE SUN, BUSINESS INSIDER, GAC    963  

The British media, the Sun, reported babies have suffered vomiting and diarrhea after drinking the new formula, with some mums claiming the powder doesn’t dissolve properly. The General Administration of Customs (GAC) promptly issued an al

The British media, the Sun, reported babies have suffered vomiting and diarrhea after drinking the new formula, with some mums claiming the powder doesn’t dissolve properly. The General Administration of Customs (GAC) promptly issued an alert according to this monitored news after several days.

The alert issued by the GAC

Several media recently reported that cases of vomiting and gastrointestinal discomfort resulted from the French Danone Group's Aptamil infant formula in the UK. The General Administration of Customs took it very seriously and immediately contacted related enterprise to inquire the relevant situation. To best our knowledge, the infant formula milk powder involved in the report is European-supplied product of Danone Group. It has not been imported into China through the general trade channel neither through the cross-border e-commerce. Now the group is investigating the causes of the issue. GAC reminds customers to carefully purchase the product from overseas websites offering direct delivery.

The impact on brand

Parents had made complaints on the brand's Aptaclub UK Facebook page after recent changes to the formulas of three of its milks. Danone UK said that extensive quality and safety checks had been made but added that it is taking "all feedback very seriously". However, the safety issue still caused 2 percent lost on Danone shares on July 9th on the Paris bourse.

The group's sales have been boosted in recent quarters by the strong performance of its baby food division, thanks notably to strong demand for its Aptamil and Nutrilon brands in China, where consumers are highly sensitive after melamine-tainted baby milk led to the deaths of six children in 2008. This time, the reports may also affect reputation of products under the Group in China.