An instant porridge sold in South Africa has been recalled after three young children reportedly died from consuming it.
According to police spokesperson, Lt Col Siphokazi Mawisa, the children, aged 18 months to four years, experienced stomach aches after eating Top Score Instant Porridge before passing away on Friday.
Supermarket Spar, where the porridge was bought, has directed all its stores to take the product off the shelves.
The Namibian company responsible for producing the porridge, Namib Mills, stated that while there is currently no evidence linking their product to this tragic incident, they are treating the matter with utmost seriousness.
They expressed their condolences to the affected families and announced the removal of their product while investigations are ongoing.
“We are cooperating fully with all relevant authorities and have also initiated our own internal investigation to ensure complete transparency,” it said.
The three kids came from two different families in the Eastern Cape province. Another child, aged seven, also fell sick after consuming the porridge but was discharged from the hospital last weekend.
It was reported that the children had ingested vanilla-flavoured porridge, but all flavours have been withdrawn. The cause of the three children’s deaths remains unclear.
According to Buffalo City Municipal spokeswoman Bongani Fuzile, samples of the porridge have been sent to the National Health Laboratory Services for testing and analysis.