“An important step” to see Lactalis be indicted, greet the civil parties

“Finally a significant step forward in this case”, react the civil parties, Thursday, February 16, after the indictment of Lactalis and the company Celia for “aggravated deception” and “involuntary injuries”. They are the subject of an investigation for salmonella contamination of infant milk in 2017. Dozens of infants had been poisoned. The two companies were placed under judicial control with the obligation to deposit the sum of 300,000 euros each.

The indictment of Lactalis “is an important step”, reacted on franceinfo Ingrid Kragl. The director of information at the NGO Foodwatch “required” From now on “an exemplary trial before the criminal court”. The association which has instituted civil proceedings notes that on its list of “twelve serious breaches”, only “Three grievances were retained for the indictment. There are still a lot of gray areas about what did not work at the time”, warns Ingrid Kragl.

“You should know that these products have gone to more than 85 countries around the world. So there are still a lot of things that will have to be clarified”, supported Ingrid Kragl. For the NGO, there is a parallel with the cases of contaminated pizzas from Buitoni and chocolates from Ferrero.

Dozens of infants with salmonellosis in 2017

“Finally a significant step forward in this case that has lasted too long!”for his part declared in a press release Quentin Guillemain, president of the Association for the health of children. “It is high time that those responsible are known and that exemplary sanctions are pronounced so that the impunity of these big industries ends and that their practices are benched.”

Jade Dousselin, lawyer for the association and a hundred civil parties, “is convinced” like its customers, “that this is a first step towards a conviction of those responsible for this major health scandal”.

At least thirty infants had been infected with 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 (Mayenne). Salmonellosis is food poisoning, which ranges from mild gastroenteritis to more serious infections, especially for young children, the elderly or debilitated.