Algeria : National Gendarmerie confiscates over 1,300 out-of-date milk boxes for babies

National Gendarmerie services of the province of Algiers seized late last week about 1,320 out-of -date milk boxes for infants which were loaded in a lorry whose driver told investigators that the adulterated milk was destined to distribution and consumption.

National Gendarmerie services of the province of Algiers seized late last week about 1,320 out-of -date milk boxes for infants which were loaded in a lorry whose driver told investigators that the adulterated milk was destined to distribution and consumption.

A senior Gendarmerie officer, Taibi Mustapha indicated that the vehicle was intercepted last week on the road linking Khemis El Khechna and Rouiba late in the evening by a Gendarmerie road squad.

After conducting a search of the vehicle, he added, the Gendarmes on duty uncovered  more than 1,300 milk boxes of a label called “Saha Confort” usually destined for babies aged between 1 day and 2 years, dating back to September 1st 2007.

Reliable sources told Echorouk newspaper that the confiscated adulterated milk boxes were imported from a Jordanian trading company through an Algerian firm specialised in medicines import.

These milk boxes destined to small babies were mostly sold in some pharmacies.

 In a swift reaction, Echorouk field reporters carried out an investigation mission in several pharmacies in the Algiers districts of Kouba and Hussein Dey where they discovered that some out-of-date milk boxes for babies were, indeed, on sale to the public.

 In their lame replies to our reporters, the pharmacies’ managers argued that these milk boxes were solely on display while others pretended that a woman customer wanted to buy this out-of- date milk for her ca

 It was patently clear that they sought vainly to evade the issue and to shirk their moral obligations towards the customers.

The Gendarmerie’s inquiry is meanwhile still going on.