lactalis
Logo of the dairy group Lactalis are seen at the food exhibition Sial in Villepinte, near Paris, France. Reuters

Dairy products sold by Lactalis in Singapore are not affected by the global recall of French company's formula milk products, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said.

French baby-milk maker Lactalis and health authorities on Sunday ordered a major international product recall after more than 20 infants fell sick due to the suspected discovery of salmonella bacteria.

None of the implicated formula milk products from France are imported to Singapore, said the state-owned AVA that regulates food safety, safeguards animal and plant health in Singapore.

AVA added that stocks from a new source are put on a "hold-and-test regime" so that the importer cannot sell them until they pass food safety tests.

Lactalis, the world's largest dairy company, has recalled products for export, including to China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Colombia and Peru.

Salmonella symptoms include severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting. The illness - caused by intestinal bacteria from farm animals - is dangerous for the very young and elderly because of the risk of dehydration.

In 2013, Danone suffered what turned out to be a false alarm about botulism in its baby milk which did huge damage to its reputation and undermined group profits.