GHANA – Nestlé Ghana Limited has announced the temporary removal of all IDEAL Evaporated Milk and CARNATION Tea Creamer off the shelves following the recent recall of some batches of the coagulated products, as instructed by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), Ghana.

A number of Ghanaians complained on social media after buying the two milk brands and finding out that the contents have been coagulated, that is the liquid has turned into solid. The numerous consumer complaints got to the quarters of the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and they initiated a recall.

“We have observed with great concern that some consumers feel let down by the quality of some of our evaporated milks. We regret this very much. The quality and safety of our products is our number one priority. To ensure our consumers have the experience they deserve, Nestle has taken the decision to take all IDEAL Evaporated Milk and CARNATION Tea Creamer off the shelves temporarily,” the statement said.

The FDA conducted a complete Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of Nestle’s manufacturing facility in Tema to establish the root cause of the coagulation of the evaporated milk. They also reviewed analytical reports, documentation of raw and packaging materials and carried out analysis of the products.

In a press statement, the regulator stated that it conducted microbial analysis on the coagulated samples. The analysis revealed no microbial contamination or leaching of dangerous chemicals from the inner lining of the can into the milk product.

The statement further revealed the milk coagulated due to the poor heat stability of the skimmed milk (raw material) used in producing them but was not anything harmful.

“This [the poor heat stability] results in the denaturing of the protein leading to the coagulation of the milk. Denatured protein however poses no health risk,” the FDA said.

So far, the FDA says, 57,938 cans of coagulated milk have been recalled. The statement further listed the batches of the products which have been affected by the recall directive.

The authority commended the public for their alertness and urged them to be more vigilant in reporting observed incidents with any of its regulated products.

“The FDA assures the public that its Industrial Support Department continues to work with Nestle to ensure that the quality defect would not recur,” read the statement.

In December, FDA  destroyed 122 cartons of expired Carnation milk from the Bawku Senior High School. The cartons of milk were stocked for use by the students, but eventually expired when schools closed down at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FDA swiftly moved in to have the products crashed and safely disposed of to prevent students from consuming the unwholesome milk, which could have implications on their health.

Nestlé Ghana

Nestlé Ghana Limited started business in Ghana in 1957 under the trading name of Nestlé Products (Gh) Limited with the importation of Nestlé products such as milk and chocolates. In 1968, it was incorporated as Food Specialties (Gh) Limited to manufacture and market locally well-known Nestlé brands. The company became Nestlé Ghana Limited in 1987.

The company markets well-known brands such as IDEAL Full Cream Evaporated Milk, CARNATION Filled Milk, Carnation Tea Creamer, MILO, CHOCOMILO, CHOCOLIM, CEREVITA Porridges, CERELAC Maize/Milk and CERELAC Wheat/Milk.

It also imports and distributes brands such as NIDO Milk Powder, LACTOGEN Infant Formula, NAN Infant Formula, NESCAFE Soluble Coffee, and MAGGI Bouillon’s and Cold Sauces and under the brand MAGGI Bouillons, Seasoning Powders such as NKRAKRA PA and Cold Sauces like KETCHUP, AROME and MAYONNAISE.

Nestlé Ghana is ranked 437 in the “Top 500 Companies in Africa 2009” and as one of the top ten companies in Ghana for 2009, 6th position overall. It is the only company in the food industry category on the list of top 10, according to Institute of Developing Economies Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO).

The company won three awards at the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Standards Authority at the 10th Industry and Quality Awards held in November 2021.

It took home the Best Company in the Food Sector award, the National Quality Award (Diamond) and the coveted Overall Best National Best Quality Award.

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