Baby formula scandal: Etos employee sells formula through back door

By Janene Pieters on July 23, 2015 - 11:51
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Etos store (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Maurits90 ). (Etos store (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Maurits90 ))

A photo of an Asian man loading boxes full of Nutrilon baby formula into his car at the back door of the Etos branch on Burchtplein in Etten-Leur has raised some awkward questions for the drug store, especially since the drugstore has a policy of one can per customer.

The one can per customer policy is maintained by many stores in  an effort to stop the the baby formula black market trade to China in particular. Dutch baby formula, especially the Nutrilon and Nutricia brands, have been in high demand in China since the large-scale milk poweder scandal in the country in 2008. Six babies died and 300 thousand became ill after drinking poisoned prodcuts.

The backdoor transaction at Etos took place last week, BN De Stem reports. Jan Christiaan Hellendoorn, a spokesperson for Etos, told the newspaper that the sale was set up by one of the sales assistants. "We have come to that conclusion after an internal investigation. We will talk to her when she gets back from vacation."

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