Oct 28, 2009, 6:16 GMT
Hanoi - The company that makes Dutch Lady brand dairy products in Vietnam has halted the manufacture of one of its milk products after children complained of allergic reactions, a government official said Wednesday.
The company, Friesland Campina Vietnam, has stopped making a line of milk products called Vivinal GOS while it waits for samples to be analyzed by a research lab in the Netherlands, said Hoang Thuy Tien, deputy head of Vietnam's Food Hygiene and Safety Agency.
Vietnam's Ministry of Health said at least 12 children have had allergic reactions to Vivinal GOS since it was introduced in Vietnam several months ago.
Company marketing materials say Vivinal GOS contains prebiotics, or non-digestible fibre intended to aid the digestion process.
Children have reportedly developed symptoms including shortness of breath, stomachaches, itching, and hives after drinking the product.
Friesland Campina Vietnam is a subsidiary of Friesland Campina, the world's largest global dairy company. The company has some 22,000 employees and 17,000 member farmers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, with annual turnover of more than 13.6 billion dollars.
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