Alnatura baby food toxin tested

Tollkirschenwirkstoffe in grain porridge - Alnatura retrieves goods

18/12/2014

As it turns out, the millet cereal slurry with rice from Alnatura contains tropane alkaloids. It is an atropine-like active ingredient, which is also found in belladonna. That's why the company has now started a recall.

Normally you can assume that the product is safe for organic products for babies. In this now known case, however, this is different. As the manufacturer said, the porridge contains traces of an alkaloid. Affected are products with a best before date until 30 August 2015. Customers should return the goods, they will receive replacement. About seeds and kernels of grain, the alkaloid could get into the food. Normally these substances would be filtered out during processing to prevent this.

How high is the risk?
Tropanalkaloide occur in nature in the well-known as poisonous belladonna. „These are atropine-like substances, as they also occur in the nightshade“, so Josef Kahl, press secretary of the professional association of the pediatricians and youth physicians North Rhine. About the dangerousness of the alkaloid he says: „When a child eats two or three belladonna, poisoning and death are imminent.“ The poison triggers various symptoms: „It starts with a reddening of the face“, so continue the pediatrician. This is followed by hallucinations, ecstasy and epilepsy-like cramps, which can ultimately lead to fainting and death if patients do not seek treatment on time.

However, parents who fed the affected baby food to their children a few days ago need not worry. The redness of the face would have noticed at the latest after one day. In addition, the manufacturer pointed out that they are only traces of Alakaloids. However, Kahl emphasizes: „The fact is that it has nothing to look for in baby porridge.“

10 children after poisoning with tonsils in emergency room
How seriously doctors take a Tollkirschenvergiftung in children, has shown only last year. At that time at least two children of a Protestant daycare in Mönchengladbach had fruits of the "black nightshade" (also „nicandra“) and then complained of headaches and abdominal pain. Since it could not be ruled out that more children had eaten from the poisonous berries, then all 42 children were examined as a precaution by an ambulance and ten children were finally brought to further investigations in children's hospitals, like the „Rheinische Post“ reported. As it turned out later, it was a false alarm. The educators had mistaken a harmless plant for belladonna. Nevertheless, the educators did the right thing.

In case of suspected poisoning accidents always call 112 immediately
It is particularly important for poisoning accidents that the case is assessed correctly and immediate first aid is provided. Therefore, the emergency call should always be placed immediately below 112 and a poison information center should be contacted. Another useful support for parents, educators and offers the app „Poisoning accidents in children“ the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. This can be downloaded for free in app stores.

Poisoning in children second most common type of accident
Poisoning is very fast especially in children and is the second most common type of accident after falling. The most common poisoning accidents in childhood are associated with the ingestion of household cleaners or personal care products - these poisonings usually involve relatively mild or no symptoms. It is much more dangerous when children get poisoned by contact with drugs, poisonous plants, corrosive substances or lamp oil. (Jp)