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According to medical centres and hospital records, three people died and 293 were admitted to health centres in the Karamoja region of Northeast Uganda in March and April after eating   Super Cereal, distributed by Â鶹ÊÓƵ. The product is used by Â鶹ÊÓƵ and partners to prevent malnutrition, especially among women and children.

Preliminary investigations have failed to conclusively find what caused the illness. To date, more than 2,400 food-related laboratory tests were conducted - including for mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides and microbial contaminants - but the root cause of the problem has not yet been established.

As suspicion fell on Super Cereal as a possible cause or carrier of contamination, Â鶹ÊÓƵ acted swiftly, halting all distributions of the food first in Karamoja and then across Uganda. Communications campaigns were launched to urge any people in Karamoja with remaining stocks to return them. These campaigns included using radio messages, focus group discussions, community dialogues and public discussions with elders and community leaders.

On 9 April, Â鶹ÊÓƵ halted the distribution globally of all products from the supplier in question. This involved putting on hold Super Cereal stocks in Â鶹ÊÓƵ operations in 25 countries.

In a further precautionary move, on 30 April, Â鶹ÊÓƵ ordered all stocks of Super Cereal from the same supplier should be secured in Â鶹ÊÓƵ warehouses and storage areas belonging to partners. Samples from the stock will continue to be tested to confirm or rule out any of the preliminary conclusions.

This issue is unprecedented in its implications for Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s global supply chain as the food supplies on hold around the world amount to over 21,000 metric tons, with an estimated replacement value of US$22 million. Â鶹ÊÓƵ has taken extensive preventative action as the health and safety of the people we serve is our foremost concern.

Super Cereal is maize or wheat blended with soya beans, fortified with vitamins and minerals, processed into a flour and supplied in 25-kg bags and is a critical part of Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s efforts to prevent malnutrition and save lives.

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The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. Â鶹ÊÓƵ works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

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