Manufacturer of instant porridge sympathises with families of three dead children, but won’t take responsibility yet

The company whose porridge allegedly caused the death of three young children in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, has responded to the fatal incident. 

Namib Mills, situated in Windhoek, Namibia, manufactures a variety of products from sugar to pasta. One of its products, Top Score instant maize porridge, is being blamed for causing of deaths of three infants. 

The children were aged between 1 and 4 years old. Two of them were from the same household.

Four children were rushed to hospital on Saturday morning after consuming instant porridge on Friday night. The fourth child, aged 7, was discharged in stable condition.

ALSO READ: Three children die following suspected food poisoning from instant porridge

Namib Mills’ response

The senior brand manager of Namib Mills, Marné Bouwer, expressed her sympathies for the families affected but said there was no evidence that Top Score instant porridge was responsible for the deaths.

“The loss of life, especially of young children, is a tragedy, and our deepest condolences go out to the families and communities affected. While there is currently no evidence linking our product to this unfortunate event, we are taking the matter very seriously,” she said.

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Namib Mills said the maize meal product has been temporarily removed from all shelves in South Africa and Namibia pending the inquiry. Bouwer says that this decision was made to ensure customer welfare. 

“This is a proactive measure, reflecting our commitment to consumer safety. We are co-operating fully with all relevant authorities and have also initiated our own internal investigation to ensure complete transparency,” she said.

On Sunday, Spar’s communication manager Mpudi Maubane said the retailer had it had already removed the product from its shelves.

“We have also taken the precautionary measure of removing the product from our shelves while the necessary food safety measures are being conducted, which includes comprehensive laboratory testing,” she said. 

Food safety

Bouwer also assured the public of Namib Mills’ dedication to food safety.

“We adhere to stringent food safety protocols and regulations. Our production facilities operate under the highest standards, and our products undergo rigorous testing, including industry standard quality assessments,” she said. 

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