Nestlé has announced a global recall of certain baby formula products after identifying a potential contamination risk that could cause food poisoning, prompting warnings to parents and caregivers not to feed the affected products to infants.
The food and drink company said specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula were not safe for consumption. The products may contain cereulide, a toxin that can trigger nausea and vomiting. Nestlé said there have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to the recalled batches, but the action was taken as a precaution.
“The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority,” the company said, apologising for the concern caused to parents, caregivers, and customers.
Nestlé confirmed to the BBC that the recall applies worldwide. Affected products were sold across several European countries, including France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, and Sweden. The company stressed that all other Nestlé products, as well as unaffected batches of the same formulas, are safe to consume.
The company said customers will be offered refunds and that the issue was traced to an ingredient supplied by a third party.
In France, Nestlé is carrying out what it described as a preventive and voluntary recall of certain batches of its Guigoz and Nidal infant formulas. In Germany, the same products are sold under the Beba and Alfamino brands.
In the UK, batch numbers for the affected products are listed on Nestlé’s website and on food.gov.uk. Parents and caregivers are advised to check the code printed on the base of tins or boxes for powdered formula, or on the outer packaging and container for ready-to-feed products.
Cereulide is a toxin produced by some strains of the Bacillus cereus bacterium. It can cause food poisoning symptoms that develop quickly, including vomiting and stomach cramps. The UK’s Food Standards Agency warned that the toxin is unlikely to be destroyed by boiling water, cooking, or the process used to prepare infant milk.
Jane Rawling, the FSA’s head of incidents, said parents, guardians, and caregivers should not give the affected products to babies or young children.
She said the agency was taking urgent action to ensure all affected products are removed from sale as a precaution. She added that anyone who has already fed the recalled formula to a baby and is concerned about possible health effects should seek medical advice by contacting a local GP or hospital.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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