A human carcinogen in cereal for babies is the reason for a new public health warning in Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Heinz Canada are warning the public not to consume Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies as it may contain elevated levels of Ochratoxin A (OTA).
Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by some fungi that can grow in certain food crops such as grains, grapes and coffee beans.
Ochratoxin A has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a possible human carcinogen.
The following product is affected by this alert:
Heinz Mixed Cereal, a Baby Cereal, Stage 2, From 6 Months, 227 g, UPC 0 57000 02516 8 Codes: BB/MA 10 DE 26 and BB/MA 10 DE 29
The best before date codes are located on the top left-hand corner of the package.
The affected product was distributed throughout Canada.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
According to CFIA, if you have the products bearing the identified product code in your home, they should not be consumed in order to minimize your child’s exposure.
However, if your children have already consumed this food, then there is no need for other actions since even the highest levels of ochratoxin A found in these products are not high enough to pose a health risk when consumed as part of a normal diet over the short term.
The manufacturer, Heinz Canada, North York, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers: Heinz Canada at 1-800-565-2100 orCFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).© Food Safety News