Baby system scare deepens: Danone pulls merchandise over poisonous contamination after Nestlé recall
Food giant Danone has recalled a batch of its baby formula product over fears it could contain a toxin which causes vomiting and stomach cramps.
Only one batch of its Aptamil baby formula sold in the UK is affected but additional batches in other countries are also impacted.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued an urgent warning after the cereulide toxin, which can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps if consumed, was found in the product distributed in the UK.
They said infants and children should avoid the product and parents should contact their GP if they have done so already.
Darren Whitby, head of incidents and resilience at the FSA, said: ‘We want to make parents, guardians and caregivers aware that Danone has recalled a batch of Aptamil First Infant Formula (800g).
‘If you have purchased batch 31-10-2026 of Aptamil First Infant Formula 800g, with a best-before date of October 31 2026, the FSA’s advice is that you should not feed infants or young children with this product.
‘If you have fed this product to a baby and have any concerns about potential health impact, you should seek advice from healthcare professionals by contacting your GP or by calling NHS 111.
‘Cereulide is a toxin produced by food poisoning bacteria Bacillus cereus and can cause food poisoning symptoms which can be quick to develop and include vomiting and stomach cramps.’
Food giant Danone has recalled a batch of its baby formula product over fears it could contain a toxin which causes vomiting and stomach cramps
The product has also been exported to a number of EU countries, and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has notified the European Commission of the recall.
An ingredient, ARA oil, which was manufactured in China, was contaminated with cereulide and added as an ingredient in base powder used to make infant formula and follow-on formula.
Danone said it ‘never compromises on food safety’.
In a statement, the company said: ‘In light of the current situation in the industry, some local food safety authorities are evolving their guidance.
‘This is a targeted recall, mainly in Europe, of only a very limited number of specific batches of infant formula products.
‘This does not impact any Danone products in the Irish market and our infant formula products can be purchased and used as normal.’
It added: ‘As a responsible manufacturer, and to comply with the latest guidance, we have voluntarily recalled an isolated batch of Aptamil First Infant Milk in the UK. This affects batch number/expiry 31-10-2026, which was on shelf in the UK for approximately two weeks in July 2025.’
