KAMPALA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday said it has temporarily halted worldwide distribution of a fortified blended food as tests continue to establish whether it is linked to outbreaks of illness in East Africa.
The UN food aid agency in a statement distributed here said medical reports show that three people died and 293 others were admitted to health centers in the Karamoja region of northeast Uganda in March and April after eating Super Cereal.
Super Cereal is used by WFP 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," the statement said.
The food aid agency said on April 9 that it halted the distribution globally of all products from the supplier in question. This involved putting on hold Super Cereal stocks in WFP operations in 25 countries.
The agency said on April 30 that it ordered all stocks of Super Cereal from the same supplier to be secured in WFP 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," the agency said.
It said the food supplies on hold around the world amount to over 21,000 metric tons, with an estimated replacement value of 22 million U.S. dollars.
