The investigation into the health scandal linked to contaminated milk has taken a new step. The Lactalis group and the company Celia Laiterie de Craon were indicted Thursday in the investigation into salmonella contamination of infant milk which affected dozens of infants at the end of 2017, the group announced in a press release.
The two companies were indicted for aggravated deception, involuntary injuries and non-execution of withdrawal and recall measures, and placed under judicial supervision with a bond of 300,000 euros each, according to the group, information confirmed by a judicial source. “This step marks the start of the legal investigation in which Lactalis will fully and transparently commit”, assures Lactalis, for whom “the challenge of this procedure is to allow the manifestation of scientific truth in this complex industrial file. “.
In total, several dozen identified infants had been affected by salmonellosis in France at the end of 2017 after consuming a product for children, mainly of the Milumel or Picot brand, released from the Craon factory, located in Mayenne. Public Health France had identified 36 infants who consumed, in France, milk produced by Lactalis “in the three days preceding the date of the onset of their symptoms”. Salmonellosis is food poisoning, which ranges from mild gastroenteritis to more serious infections, especially for young children, the elderly or debilitated.
Culture du secret
The withdrawal process had been chaotic and many malfunctions that led to contamination had been uncovered. After several weeks of crisis, the group, renowned for its culture of secrecy, had withdrawn in mid-January 2018 all of its infant milk produced in the offending factory, the production of which had to be suspended for more than six months.
The company headed by Emmanuel Besnier had claimed that the contamination was explained by “work carried out during the first half of 2017”. But the site had already been contaminated with salmonella in 2005. The Institut Pasteur then announced that it had come to the conclusion that the bacteria present in Craon had survived between 2005 and 2017.
Several hundred complaints have been filed and several dozen people have been interviewed by investigators. In October 2019, Emmanuel Besnier was heard in the context of police custody, from which he came out without prosecution.