Rio de Janeiro Suspends Glória and Italac Dairy Lots
The State Health Department of Rio de Janeiro (SES-RJ) restricted two dairy batches as a precautionary measure: lot 31 of Glória UHT whole milk and lot M6 of Italac whole condensed milk. The order applies throughout Rio de Janeiro and suspends the products’ commercialisation, distribution and use.
The two actions followed different laboratory findings. Testing by the Noel Nutels Central Public Health Laboratory (Lacen-RJ) found an unsatisfactory result for viable aerobic mesophilic counts in the Glória batch. The Italac batch produced an unsatisfactory result in testing for coagulase-positive staphylococci.
The Glória measure covers only one-litre containers from lot 31. The milk was produced on June 18th 2026 and carries an expiry date of October 15th 2026. It is made by Nova Mix Industrial e Comercial de Alimentos Ltda. and sold in Tetra Pak packaging.
The Italac restriction concerns 395-gram containers of whole condensed milk from lot M6, with an expiry date of December 4th 2026. The manufacturer is Goiás Minas Indústria de Laticínios Ltda., and the product is also packaged in Tetra Pak containers. Other lots from either brand are not covered by the orders.
The laboratory procedures examined different characteristics. The Glória test measured microorganisms able to develop in the product, including bacteria, fungi and yeasts. The Italac test checked for coagulase-positive staphylococci, which are associated with the potential to cause illness and produce toxins and can also indicate sanitary and hygiene conditions.
The Association of Supermarkets of the State of Rio de Janeiro (ASSERJ) has instructed retailers and food handlers to check their inventories immediately, remove the affected batches from display and keep them apart from other goods. Establishments are expected to record the quantities withdrawn and retain the products in an identified, segregated area until authorities determine whether they should be collected or otherwise disposed of.
Flávio Graça, ASSERJ’s technical consultant and food-safety specialist, advised those responsible for the establishments to document the withdrawn products and keep the batches identified until the next measures are set. In the Italac case, municipal health-surveillance authorities are also due to inspect establishments to verify that the product has been removed and that its sale and use have stopped. Breaching the SES-RJ orders constitutes a sanitary violation and may lead to penalties under Brazilian law. ASSERJ said it had contacted both manufacturers and was awaiting their responses.
