Bledina: chemical gas leak in a baby milk factory

Bledina chemical gas leak in a baby milk factory

Early this Wednesday, June 23, firefighters intervened on the Blédina production site in Steenvoorde, following an ammonia leak. About fifty people were evacuated, and the factory is shut down.

[Mise à jour du 23 juin 2022 à 13h21] Early this morning, around 4:30 a.m., firefighters were notified ofa leak of toxic product in a technical room, in the Blédina production plant in Steenvoorde, near Dunkirk. The brand has not yet given any indication of the possible consequences on the supply or on the fate of the milk boxes being manufactured.

A leak under control

No injuries, the premises were unoccupied at the time of the leak, but around fifty employees present on the site had to be evacuated. The toxic product in question: ammonia, in gaseous form for which a team specialized in chemical risks has since carried out reconnaissance, to first stop the leak but also to determine the quantity of emissions and discharges. A large rescue system is engaged on the site: fire engines, ambulance, chemical risk and medical support vehicles. 40 firefighters are thus mobilized.

A harmless incident?

In the field of baby food, Blédina, a subsidiary of Danone, occupies a leading position, with a market share of 45.6% in 2021 (IRI data). The site where the incident took place is devoted to the production of infant milk, and since this morning, the factory has been shut down. For how long ? If a shortage of infant milk, as is the case in the United States, is not to be feared, on the other hand will there be some supply difficulties in the coming days? As for the boxes already packaged and stored in the factory, what treatment or precautionary principle will they be subject to? Contacted, neither Bledina nor ANSES (the National Agency for Food and Environmental Health Safety) responded.

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