Top Score Instant Porridge has been withdrawn from sale in South Africa following the tragic deaths of three young children, aged between 18 months and four years, who reportedly fell ill after consuming the product.
Police spokesperson Lt Col Siphokazi Mawisa informed the newsmen that the children complained of stomach aches before passing away on Friday.
Supermarket chain Spar, where the porridge was sold, has instructed all stores to remove the product from their shelves as a precautionary measure.
The porridge is produced by Namib Mills, a Namibian company, which stated that although there is currently “no evidence linking our product to this unfortunate event,” it is taking the situation very seriously. The company expressed its condolences to the affected families and announced that the product would be recalled while investigations are ongoing.
“We are cooperating fully with all relevant authorities and have also initiated our own internal investigation to ensure complete transparency,” Namib Mills added.
The deceased children came from two families in the Eastern Cape province. A fourth child, aged seven, also fell ill after consuming the vanilla-flavored porridge but has since been discharged from the hospital.
In response to the incident, samples of the porridge have been sent to the National Health Laboratory Services for testing and analysis, as the cause of the children’s deaths remains unclear. All flavors of the porridge have been removed from sale pending further investigation.
