The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has so far not issued any order to slap a ban on the import of specific infant formula milk to contain the outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in Pakistan. Although the office of the inspector of drugs, Islamabad has issued alert notification regarding contamination of infant formula with Salmonella some 13 days ago, FBR has neither directed Pakistan customs to put a ban on the imports of specific infant formula milk nor any provincial drugs authority has issued any advisory to prevent the sales of said milk, sources from customs agents fraternity said.
They said that the office of the inspector of drugs, Islamabad had directed its field officers to stop the sales of specific infant formula milk in the capital city but no provincial drugs authorities had followed the said instructions, causing high risk of Salmonella Agona infection outbreak in major cities of Pakistan.
According to the alert notification, following the outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in France among infants less than six months of age caused by lactose free milk products, all sales outlets operating in Islamabad are directed to immediately stop the sales of the implicated batches of above referred products and intimate the office regarding the recall of batches by the concerned manufacturers.
When contacted, customs officials, who did not want to be named, confirmed to have not received any instructions from FBR, saying that they were not communicated any order from the board to examine the said products and ensure that no consignment of said infant formula milk notified in the letter of the office of the inspector of drugs, Islamabad would be cleared in order to avoid outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection in Pakistan.
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