Illustrative
IllustrativePhoto: Sophie Gordon / Flash 90

The Unilever company is claiming that the reason why contaminants had been found in its "Telma" cornflakes is that a warehouse worker took the bar-code off of one of a batch of uncontaminated cereal, and put it on a contaminated batch, sticking it one top of the code marking it as contaminated and not to be sold.

Thus, the company claims, a salmonella-infected batch of cereal got through quality control at the factory and was shipped off to retail outlets in the Petah Tikva area.

Channel 2 reports that the company is investigating whether it was an innocent mistake or foul play was involved.

Unilever representatives say they have evidence of the fact that a bar-code was taken off of a uncontaminated batch, adding that they are considering involving the police.

MK Itzik Shmuli, Chairman of the Knesset Lobby for the Promotion of Safety in Israel, and Chair of the State Control Committee Karin Elharrar demanded that the State Comptroller get involved, with Elharrar announcing that she plans to call an urgent committee meeting to discuss the Health Ministry's conduct in the matter.

"The policy of self-reporting followed by the Health Ministry put the public in danger," Shmuli said. Elharrar added: "We have a duty to find out how this situation evaded the notice of the Health Ministry, with Unilever now making excuses."